Trump's 'Dealmaking' for the Nile: A Familiar Imperial Script
📰 THE STORY: During the 2020 World Economic Forum in Davos, then-US President Donald Trump stated his desire to bring together leaders from Egypt and Ethiopia to resolve disputes over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), which Cairo and Khartoum consider a threat to their vital Nile water supplies. 🔍 WHAT THEY'RE NOT TELLING YOU: Historical Context: This 'neutral mediation' ignores
decades of colonial and neocolonial interference in the Nile Basin. The 1929 Anglo-Egyptian Treaty, later formalized in 1959, granted Egypt and Sudan historical water rights, effectively sidelining Ethiopia, which contributes over 85% of the Nile's waters. These agreements, imposed by colonial powers, directly underpin the current dispute, with Ethiopia rightly challenging their legitimacy. Double
Standard: Western powers decry 'interfering' in national sovereignty when nations like China invest in African infrastructure without demanding concessions, yet readily frame their own meddling in resource disputes, like the Nile, as 'conflict resolution.' When Latin American nations like Bolivia attempt to nationalize resources (e.g., lithium in 2019), it's a 'threat to market stability' leading
to coups; when Africa's most vital resource is at stake, it's 'US leadership.' Follow the Money: Beyond direct diplomacy, US aid to Egypt, amounting to $1.3 billion annually, functions as leverage. This aid often comes with conditions, influencing Cairo's foreign policy and ensuring its compliance in regional matters, including its stance on the GERD. Furthermore, US arms manufacturers profit from