Scramble for resources fuels conflict in East Africa region

No one summed it better than Ugandan President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni when he told off Egypt over its threat to Ethiopia in regard to construction of a hydroelectric dam on one of the Nile tributaries.

“No African wants to hurt Egypt. However, Egypt cannot continue to hurt black Africa and the countries of the tropics of Africa,” the Ugandan President said last week.

Tension between Cairo and Addis Ababa has been raising since Ethiopia diverted water from the Blue Nile to the Sh400 billion hydroelectric dam that is planned to produce 6,000 megawatts of power.

Egypt has threatened to leave “all options open”, with some politicians urging the government to sabotage the dam.

Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi on Monday last week said Egypt was ready to “defend each drop of Nile water with our blood if necessary.”

Responding to Morsi’s threats, Ethiopia’s premier, Hailemariam Desalegn, said construction of the Grand Renaissance Dam was “unstoppable.”

“All options include war. I don’t think they will take that option unless they go mad,” warned Hailemariam, adding, “I urge them to abandon such an unhelpful approach and return to dialogue and discussion.”

The spat, which is now taking regional and global dimensions, reflects a growing trend in eastern Africa, where conflict is slowly building as countries tap scarce resources to power development.

It is not just Ethiopia and Egypt that are on the verge of war over resources.

Sudan and South Sudan are already fighting over the oil-rich Abyei region. The two are also tussling over oil export, with Sudan threatening to stop transportation of oil from South Sudan through its pipeline.

Discovery of oil and gas in East Africa has also brought tension within the region.

Tanzania and Malawi are currently in a diplomatic war over ownership of Africa’s third-largest lake, Lake Malawi.

Malawi angered Tanzania in 2011 when it awarded exploration licences to UK-based Surestream Petroleum to search for oil in the disputed northern area.

Rwanda and Uganda have been fighting proxy wars with mineral-rich DR Congo, while Kenya and Uganda are yet to resolve an ownership row over Migigo island in Lake Victoria.

Nairobi and Addis Ababa are also yet to agree on the border line between the two countries, with experts warning that discovery of oil near the border could complicate the talks.

Tension over Ethiopia’s bid to construct Gibe III hydroelectricity dam on River Omo, which feeds Lake Turkana, is also raising tension between the two countries.

South Sudan and Kenya are also yet to agree on who owns the Ilemi Triangle.

Discovery of oil near the disputed region is also likely to cause tension. At the coast, Somalia is laying claim to the Lamu basin, where Kenya is currently exploring for oil.

Uganda and DR Congo are also tussling over ownership of Lake Albert, where large deposits of oil have been discovered.

Ugandan authorities accuse Kinshasa of putting up a checkpoint on the shores of Lake Albert, which is said to be overflowing with oil.