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Benjamin Jones
Benjamin Jones
3 years ago

Very interesting and just the sort of current affairs the BBC were good at covering until they decided to concentrate on reporting hurty feelings.

yessarian
yessarian
3 years ago
Reply to  Benjamin Jones
Mark Corby
Mark Corby
3 years ago

An interesting essay, but no mention of the fact that Ethiopia is an ‘island’ of Christianity surrounded by a ‘sea’ of Islam. It has long history of repulsing Islamic invaders, on one occasion with help of Portugal and one of the sons of Vasco da Gama.

“The only African nation not to have been colonised” Really? What were the wretched Italians up to then in 1936-40?
Perhaps also a mention of the remarkable British Expedition in 1868, under Napier might have been useful, when discussing the military options.

Are you sure that “80% of the Nile water originates in the Ethiopian mountains”? What about the White Nile, normally regarded as providing 40% of the total flow?

Stephen Lloyd
Stephen Lloyd
3 years ago
Reply to  Mark Corby

Correct: the Blue Nile supplies 80% of the Nile’s flow during the rainy season, but not when averaged over the whole year.

vance.justin
vance.justin
3 years ago
Reply to  Mark Corby

It has never been colonized. Nobody said they never lost a battle. You are somehow confused on why they were never colonized please sir pick up a book and learn what strength is.

Mark Corby
Mark Corby
3 years ago
Reply to  vance.justin

You seem to be lacking a sense of irony.

Had not the Italians’s been colonising what is now Eritrea since the 1880’s, had their first crack at Ethiopia/Abyssinia in 1897, then started full colonisation after their overwhelming victory in 1936?

We must be ‘reading’ very different books.

yessarian
yessarian
3 years ago
Reply to  vance.justin

“It has never been colonized”…..by a European colonial power, yes. Broader discussion about whether Abyssinia colonised what is now Ethiopia and Eritrea.

yessarian
yessarian
3 years ago
Reply to  Mark Corby

“….’island’ of Christianity surrounded by a ‘sea’ of Islam….”, around 1/3rd of the population is Muslim.

“What were the wretched Italians up to then in 1936-40?”, losing.

Mark Corby
Mark Corby
3 years ago
Reply to  yessarian

In other words about 80 million Christians. Surrounded by Sudan N&S, Somalia,Eritrea, Djibouti.

At least we agree on the ‘wretched’ Italians!.

G C
G C
3 years ago
Reply to  Mark Corby

South Sudan is dominantly Christian (indeed, a big reason why there IS a South Sudan), as is Kenya – a neighbour you omitted from your list. Eritrea is a mix tilted somewhat towards Christianity (as is Ethiopia itself). Not sure N Sudan (pop 42M) and Somalia (pop 15M) make a “sea”.

A Spetzari
A Spetzari
3 years ago

Good article – though could really benefit from some sort of map UnHerd?

khsaleh
khsaleh
3 years ago

The reporting is not accurate, Egypt population currently is 105 Million + not 80. This is serious and calls for in depth analysis from several angles, particularly political, this dam is undoubtedly driven by animosity to Egypt from many players,

vance.justin
vance.justin
3 years ago
Reply to  khsaleh

80million-105million makes no difference they are all squatters living on stolen land. when water gets cut off nobody will shed one tear. Ethiopia has every right to do what it wants on its land. Egypt created it’s on animosity with its decision making of the past. It’s inhabited by squatters they need to vacate.