Read more: http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2016/03/egypt-ethiopia-renaissance-dam-water-storage-nile-dispute.html#ixzz424aXh6L1
The basis of my novel, The Nile Conspiracy, is becoming eerily real. No, don't say 'forboding.' It's a novel...
However, I also just read President el-Sisi (whom I sort of 'replaced' in my novel) is cracking down (well, jailing, actually) novelists for reasons only known to him and his henchmen...
I guess, I better not schedule a trip over there right now! But that shouldn't prevent you from reading Book 5 of my Legends of the Winged Scarab.
There is indeed a dispute. Alarmists (like my Egyptian husband) are certain this is a plot to take Egypt's water. But then, they think everything is a plot, especially things the western governments do. When Bush invaded Iraq, it was "common knowledge" here that the US would keep Iraq forever and steal all its oil. (People still tell me it's secretly going on, that the Iraqis ship all their oil to the US, and are too afraid of the US to tell the truth about it.) There's no talking to them - like many 3rd world citizens, they have no grasp of history, logic, or reality. I can assure you that Ethiopia wants money way more than they want water, and they'll happily sell Egypt all the water it needs. The rumor, gossip, and outright lies here boggle the mind. (Like the belief that when crops get infected with something, it's Israeli sabotage, and about 10 years ago there was a rumor they bombed the high dam and my husband ran out with millions of others to buy food to stock up for the coming war. I told him it couldn't be true, and eventually they learned it was just a rumor, like many, many others.) El-Sisi's regime has indeed jailed a TV personality and journalists from Al Jezeera, but he's the only one (after Mubarak) who has a good grasp of the economy and is bringing money into a country where all the people get huge subsidies from the gov't on gas, food, medical care, meds, and housing - yet think they're owed more. As far as I know, they haven't jailed novelists yet, and I'm not worried.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your insightful comments, Lexa. It's always good to hear from someone who has her finger on the pulse.
ReplyDeleteYou are straddling two worlds - and as far as I can see, successfully and happily so. And I think, I better go back to writing about Ancient Egypt which so fascinates us.