It was found out that there was a demonstration and signing of petition against Ethiopia’s building of the Gilgel Ghibe III Hydroelectric Power Dam so it cannot get the financial aid necessary to accomplish the project.
The demonstration which was meant to apply pressure on Ethiopia to an extent of making it call off the erection of the structure took place in the Italian capital, Rome, in front of the country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Behind the protest rally was the international humanitarian organization-Survival International.
Christina Vuvini, Manager of Survival International, told Voice of America, 18 June, that the humanitarian organization stands up for the right of ethnic minorities around the globe.
Vuvini said her organization called the rally because they came to learn that in the area where the construction of the hydropower dam is under way, inhabitants were not consulted and an immense damage had been done and people were being flushed out as a result.
In an answer to the question how they came to know if the Ethiopian government did not pay much attention to the ethnic minorities occupying that area, the manager said, “All government documents were written in Amharic whereas the natives don’t understand a word of Amharic. This shows the inhabitants were not properly listened to”.
As stated by the manager the protest march and the signing of petition against the Ethiopian government was organized in collaboration with International Rivers and other charitable organizations. Adding, she pointed out that the rally took place in front of Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in order to bring the matter to the attention of the Italian government which has already earmarked 307 million dollars in aid for the execution of the scheme.
VOA’s report also indicated that even the Dawro community was found to be unhappy about the construction of the dam. Mengistu Urelelo, who was interviewed by the radio station as representative of the Dawro People, expressed that the Dawro Community was not at all against the construction of the hydroelectric power structure but only that the people were not allowed to be part of the labor force in the project. He also pointed out that some Woredas were rent asunder thereby making people unable to move around. “We are as well worried that the longest terracing, 75km, which is one of the cultural heritages of the Dawro people would be demolished as the result of the project,” Mengistu underscored.
Responding to the situation, Mesfin Dessalegn an official of the Ethiopian Electric Power Corporation said, “The construction of the power dam has no negative impact on the inhabitants of the area in particular and the Ethiopian public in general. The project is being carried out on the basis of reconnaissance undertaken by professionals. Therefore we don’t worry about the gripes”.
