Egyptians starting to talk about war over Ethiopia dam issue

Over the past couple of weeks, Egyptians have been surprised and upset over the announcement from Ethiopia that they are building a hydroelectric dam that will temporarily divert water from the Nile.

The rhetoric level has been increasing.

Last week:

The head of the Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) Mohamed El-Katatni told Al-Ahram's Arabic-language news website on Wednesday that a military response to Ethiopia's Nile dam project "cannot be taken without the consent and support of the Egyptian people."

Tension between Egypt and Ethiopia escalated last week after the latter began diverting the course of the Blue Nile – the source of the lion's share of Egypt's Nile water – as part of a project to build a series of dams along the river.

Ethiopia's Grand Renaissance Dam project has been a source of concern for the Egyptian government, which fears that the project – if completed – could negatively impact Egypt's traditional share of Nile water.

"Egyptians are peaceful by nature, but they have a historical entitlement to Nile water," El-Katatni, a former parliamentary speaker, was quoted as saying. "And it is their right to defend it by any means necessary."

Also last week:

Last night:

Egypt does not want war with Ethiopia but will keep "all options open," President Mohamed Morsy said on Monday, piling pressure to an ongoing dispute over the giant dam Addis Ababa is building across the Nile.

In a televised speech to cheering Islamist supporters, Morsy voiced his understanding for the development needs of poorer nations upstream in the Nile basin, but deployed emotive language to claim Egyptians would not tolerate any reduction in water supplies.

Hot-headed rhetoric, including whispers of military action, by Egyptian politicians last week has raised concerns of a so-called “water war” between Africa’s second and third most populous states.

But Morsy, for whom the dispute provides ample opportunity to rally Egyptians behind him after a divisive first year in power, also seemed to leave room for compromise.

He did not renew an Egyptian call - flatly rejected by Ethiopia last week - for work to stop at the dam but said further study on its impact was needed.

"Egypt's water security cannot be violated in any way," Morsy said. "As head of state, I confirm to you that all options are open." He later added: "We are not calling for war, but we will never permit our water security...to be threatened."

Drawing on an old Egyptian song about the Nile, he said: "If it diminishes by one drop then our blood is the alternative."

And the inevitable fallout:

Dozens of Ethiopian refugees protested on Sunday outside the Egypt office of UN refugee agency (UNHCR) in Cairo's 6 October City to demand protection from what they describe as increasingly frequent xenophobic attacks by Egyptians.

Protesters, mostly from the Oromo ethnic group, said that members of their community had faced several violent attacks in Egypt in recent weeks.

The apparent trend comes against the backdrop of mounting tensions between Ethiopia and Egypt over a plan by the former to build a dam on the Blue Nile.

"We have some reports of people being attacked just because of their nationality," protest organiser Jeylan Kassim told Ahram Online.

"We need the UNHCR's protection; and we need the UNHCR to raise the awareness of the Egyptian community [about our plight]."