Sheikh Abdel-Akher Hammad calls on Egypt to defend its honour and oppose construction of Ethiopian dam
Ahram Online , Thursday 30 May 2013
Al-Gamaa Al-Islamiya mufti, Abdel-Akher Hammad (Photo: Al-Ahram Arabic)
On Tuesday, Ethiopia began diverting the course of the Blue Nile, one of the Nile River’s two major tributaries, as part of its project to build a dam for electricity production.
Speaking on Al-Arabiya satellite channel, Hammad claimed the move would reduce Egypt's water supply and damage national security.
"If such a war is forged against us, we are ready to fight and we will embark on it with all our strength to defend our honour," asserted Hammad.
Diplomatic negotiations should be the first step, he added.
Hammad went on to say the crisis should have been dealt with by the Mubarak regime.
The Blue Nile provides Egypt with the lion's share of its annual 55 billion cubic metres of river water.
According to the state-run National Planning Institute, Egypt will need an additional 21 billion cubic metres of water per year by 2050 – on top of its current quota of 55 billion metres – to meet the needs of a projected population of 150 million.
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