Field and river

20th International Conference of Ethiopian Studies (ICES20)
Mekelle University, Ethiopia

"Regional and Global Ethiopia - Interconnections and Identities"
1-5 October, 2018

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THE FOUNDATIONS OF EGYPTIAN HYDRO-HEGEMONY IN THE EASTERN NILE BASIN [Abstract ID: 1211-03]

WUHIBEGEZER Ferede, Blue Nile Water Institute

The purpose of this paper was to unveil the strategies and tactics perused by Egypt to assume and project its hegemonic position in the Nile Eastern Nile Basin. In this respect, largely qualitative data was collected from archives, inscriptions, ancient coins, diplomatic correspondences, travel accounts, treaties, informants, public workshops, research reviews, conference papers, and magazine articles. After analyzing the data, the researcher identified that Egypt has perused proto-colonial ideational power projection through construction of pseudo history, control of patriarchal authority and educational system, politicization of religious authority, ritualization of water myths and codification inefficacious water treaties as main strategies for creating, consolidating and sustaining hegemony in the Eastern Nile Basin. Thus, the democratization of the benefits of the Nile River needs the demystification of ingrained misperceptions to ensure social equity, economic efficiency and ecological integrity. Therefore, the recent optimistic head starts of the Nile Basin Initiative should foster these tenets.