US President praises Egypt, Nile water demands after Ethiopia sanctions
(Yeroo) Hours after President Joe Biden’s administration announced visa restriction and economic sanctions on Ethiopia, the US President held phone call with Egyptian President Fattah Al Sisi seeking assistance on the Middle East crisis.
“President Biden thanked Egypt for its successful diplomacy and coordination with the United States to end the recent hostilities in Israel and Gaza and ensure violence does not reoccur. President Biden said he has asked Secretary of State Antony Blinken to visit the region for follow up on these urgent needs,” according to the White House Press release.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced the sanctions on Ethiopia the night before his trip to Cairo.
In what appears to be a quid pro quo bargaining, the White House’s phone-call transcript also revealed that President Biden supported Egypt’s demands on a hydroelectric dam project built in another country during discussions addressing the first foreign policy (middle east) crisis of his presidency.
“Regarding the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, President Biden acknowledged Egypt’s concerns about access to Nile River waters,” it added, without directly mentioning the economic sanctions put on Ethiopia.
Due to the United States government previously blocking Ethiopia from receiving World Bank (WB) and IMF loan fundings for development projects, the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) was financed wholly thru fundraising by millions of Ethiopian farmers, teachers, laborers among others, including the Diaspora.
On Sunday, the Joe Biden administration also suspended all security aid to Ethiopia as the country faces a foreign currency crisis and as Egypt-Sudan have made a joint military threat at the border, after Khartoum already annexed several Ethiopian territories in November.
Egypt has built the most powerful military and air-force in Africa as it continues to receive an annual $1.3 Billion American military assistance, the largest security aid in Africa.
RELATED
