In an extension of a bilateral dispute between Ethiopia and Egypt over the $4.8 billion Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam being built on the Nile River, Egyptian hackers launched a cyber attack on a number of Ethiopian government websites over the course of the past week.
The two countries have been at loggerheads with each other for years over Ethiopia’s construction of the massive hydroelectric dam on the Nile—Egypt’s sole water source for irrigation farming and in general for its 100 million-strong population. But as the source of 85% of the Nile’s waters, Ethiopia maintains that the Chinese-backed dam is crucial for attaining developmental goals and combating poverty. Under construction since 2011, the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) continues to be a source of growing tension between the two states.
The animosity has seen Ethiopia enter the crosshairs of Egyptian hackers numerous times in recent years. The hackers, who claimed to belong to the “Cyber_Horus Group,” left messages on the homepage of a Ethiopian regional police force training center, threatening war over the Nile and a “Pharaonic curse,” upon Ethiopians. Most of the hacked websites seen by Quartz Africa included the message from a Pharaonic painting: “If the river’s level drops, let all the Pharaoh’s soldiers hurry and return only after the liberation of the Nile, restricting its flow.”
Similar messages with the group’s logo and Egyptian pharaoh motifs were left on about a dozen other government webpages. Messages celebrating Egyptian president Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi were also visible. There is no known link between the hackers and the Egyptian government. https://cms.qz.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Ea8b3bBXYAEVWlP.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=450&h=253&crop=1
In a statement, Ethiopia’s Information Network Security Agency (INSA) claimed on Monday it was able to thwart a massive cyber attack by “cyber criminals” targeting Ethiopia’s political and economic infrastructure. Despite the taunting messages and images from the hackers being removed, most of the targeted websites remained offline as of Saturday morning (Jun. 27).
Egypt has a history of threatening military action against states that contemplate building dams on the Nile River. In 1979, Egyptian president Anwar Sadat stated that “the only matter that could take Egypt to war again is water.”
Observers believe a war over the Nile is unlikely, but worsening ties over Ethiopia’s intention to start storing the Nile’s water in the dam’s reservoir next month saw Egypt call for UN intervention this week.
On the brink of a diplomatic fallout, talks were held by video conference on Friday (Jun. 26) between the leaders of Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt, mediated by South African president Cyril Ramaphosa on behalf of the African Union. According to reports, Ethiopia has agreed with the other nations to hold off from filling the dam for another two weeks. The cyber attacks by hackers in Egypt appear to have had little or no effect on the time sensitive, tense negotiations.
have you seen the amount of weapons the Egyptian military has been amassing in the last few years. Ethiopia might want to deepen ties with Turkey buy there weapons and as well deepen a military cooperation.
And Ethiopia as well has been mobilizing it’s assets in ready defense of protecting there dam.
We are weak… Remember that Egypt was conquered multiple times by outside forces from europeans to arabs whom created their own dynasties, thats why the southern part of egypt is were you find the darker egyptians whom are descedent of old egypt and thats where the cities of old egypt were which at that times were linked with Nubia. Its frustrating seing how these infiltrators are subjugating Africans, like arabs in Sudan whom came after 1200 AD and other arabs in north africa whom came in 600 AD during the Muslim conquest of the Maghreb. We should not give one more inch to these arabs and it fuels me seing that Mauratania is ruled by these arab minorities whom enslave blacks, or in Sudan and also in Mali. We need to push them to north africa and not give one more inch.
All african leaders and people should support Ethiopia. Infact egypt doesn’t even associate with africa but middle east and other arab terrotories. And you know that those arabs look down on subsaharan africa.
So sad unfortunately ile mwizi ya Ngina instead of thinking how we will channel the water that form tributary of river Nile to the northern frontier. Thinks how he will steal to make their looted empire.
Really? Which tributary is this? And kwani the land we have is totally used up? Tana Delta is unused and extremely fertile. That makes more sense than diverting rivers. This diverting rivers is sounding like Waititus Logic.
Sure, the destruction of your neighbour will be of benefit for you… Only low IQ blacks can reason this way. Imagine if DRC got it shit together and how many african countries would benefit.
Your kumbaya approach to everyone you consider “black” is why nobody takes you seriously.
You were complaining about Somalis and how they look down on other Africans, then you turn around and say we should support Ethiopia, a country where you would be a shankella
lol… You think i have a kumbaya approach to black people? Zoomalis are more black then most africans, and i say f*ck zoomalis now is that a kumbaya approach? And my comment inregards to zoomalis was about vs africans, where did i talk about black people? Dont confuse me with low IQ blacks like in america who talk about ‘‘people of colour’’ coalition etc. And if you go up in this thread you will see i wrote ‘‘Its about choosing the lesser evil.’’ Because i knew that those arabs in egypt look down on subsaharan africans but also that Ethiopians have superiority complex when it comes to africans. But which low IQ person thinks that destroying your neighbouring country will favour your developement? Is your IQ to low that you cant see how a developed DRC would benefit all its neighbouring countries and Africa?
Congo’s development would benefit her neighbors, definitely. At a minimum, it would be possible to repatriate the millions of refugees coming from there.
Whether it would be of benefit to Africa as a whole is debatable, black majority rule in South Africa didn’t help and I doubt Congo can even achieve stability enough to develop an economy worthy of mention
Ethiopia’s collapse would allow Kenya to destroy the gibe dams, most of the refugees from the resulting fall out would likely also not be interested in coming to Kenya, so yes, the destruction of Ethiopia would be a net gain for Kenya
You continue to argue from a low IQ perspective… My comment was ment for the situation where DRC become stable as a country which will allow it to develope economically and with the resources it will become a popular destination for investors which will allow it to grow GDP wise. DRC is destined to become an African superpower in the future, and you better believe it will with time which again will benefit its neighbours and Africa. The same with Nigeria on how it can benefit Africa because of its big consumer market but is hindered due to corruption. And what are you talking about? Thabo Mbeki oversaw the biggest rise economically of South Africa and took the country from 100 USD Billion dollar to 400 USD billion Dollar. Without South Africa its neighbouring countries would be nothing…
If you think destroying the country of your neighbours which can benefit you through buissness then go ahead and do so… You should learn the difference between France and U.K… U.K has always been superior when it comes to buissness and thats why U.K has a bigger economy eventhough they have a smaller consumer market. Even today in Africa, the U.K strategises on economic corporation with its ex colonies while the French strategises in domination to take the resource which leaves these french colonies the most unstable in africa and where not many foreigners want to invest unlike the former english colonies. Its about being wise.