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world news Diahuebs 3 september 2020

U.S. suspends some aid to Ethiopia over dam dispute with Egypt

By CARA ANNA for the populations of the
Associated Press downstream countries," the
JOHANNESBURG (AP) State Department spokesper-
— On the guidance of Presi- son said. "In addition, filling
dent Donald Trump, the State while negotiations were un-
Department said Wednesday derway undermines the other
the U.S. is suspending some parties' confidence in the ne-
aid to Ethiopia over the "lack gotiations."
of progress" in the country's The spokesperson also said
talks with Egypt and Sudan "the United States has been
over a massive, disputed dam increasingly concerned by
project it is completing on the lack of progress in the ne-
the Nile River. gotiations of a trilateral agree-
It was an unusual example of ment" on the dam's filling and
Trump's direct intervention operation, but said the U.S.
on an issue in Africa, a conti- continues to work with all
nent he hasn't visited as pres- three countries on the issue.
ident and rarely mentions The spokesperson said aid
publicly. The dam dispute will continue for Ethiopia's
centers on two of Africa's response to COVID-19 and
most populous and powerful HIV and "certain humani-
nations, Ethiopia and Egypt, tarian assistance to aid those
and some have feared it could affected by conflict, drought,
lead to military conflict. displacement, and other hu-
A State Department spokes- In this Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2020 file photo, Egyptian farmer Makhluf Abu Kassem, 55, center, sits manitarian challenges."
person told The Associated with farmers under the shade of a dried up palm tree surrounded by barren wasteland that was Ethiopia in recent weeks has
Press the decision to "tem- once fertile and green, in Second Village, Qouta town, Fayoum, Egypt. seen a rapid rise in confirmed
porarily pause" some aid to Associated Press COVID-19 cases and now
a key regional security ally has more than 50,000, an-
"reflects our concern about pute. The report by Foreign duce the country's share of Ethiopia had said it would other challenge for a country
Ethiopia's unilateral decision Policy last week set off an up- Nile waters. Ethiopia says the fill the dam with or without already facing outbursts of
to begin to fill the dam before roar among some in Ethio- $4.6 billion dam will be an a deal with Egypt and Sudan. deadly ethnic violence and
an agreement and all neces- pia, which sees the dam as a engine of development that The dam's 74 billion-cubic- growing economic pain.
sary dam safety measures source of national pride. will pull millions of people meter reservoir saw its first A former U.S. ambassador
were in place." It is not clear There was no immediate out of poverty. Sudan, in the filling in July, which Ethio- to Ethiopia, David Shinn,
how many millions of dol- comment from Ethiopia's middle, worries about the ef- pia's government celebrated had warned against an aid
lars in aid are being affected, government. Ethiopia's am- fects on its own dams though and attributed to heavy rains, cut, writing that "playing po-
or for how long. The deci- bassador to the U.S., Fitsum it stands to benefit from ac- while a startled Egypt and litical hardball with Ethiopia
sion was taken by Secretary Arega, this week tweeted that cess to cheap electricity. Sudan hurriedly sought clari- will not only fail to obtain
of State Mike Pompeo "based his country is determined The U.S. earlier this year fication and expressed skepti- Washington's desired result
on guidance from the presi- to complete the dam, saying tried to mediate the discus- cism. but will probably ensure
dent," the spokesperson said. that "we will pull Ethiopia sions, but Ethiopia walked "The United States previous- that the Ethiopian diaspora
Ethiopia this week said it was out of darkness." away amid accusations that ly and repeatedly expressed in the United States rallies
asking the U.S. for clarifica- Africa's largest hydroelectric Washington was siding with its concern that commenc- against Trump. There are
tion after a media report said dam has caused severe ten- Egypt. Now the three coun- ing the filling of the GERD sizeable Ethiopian-American
Pompeo had approved cut- sions with Egypt, which has tries are reporting any prog- before all necessary dam communities in key states
ting up to $130 million in called it an existential threat ress to the African Union, safety measures were imple- such as Georgia, Texas, and
aid because of the dam dis- and worries that it will re- which is leading negotiations. mented created serious risks Virginia."q

Philippine court orders U.S. Marine’s early release in killing

By JIM GOMEZ Philippine and American se- were applied, “he’s already
Associated Press curity personnel at the main overstaying,” she said by
MANILA, Philippines military camp in metropoli- phone. Military spokesman
(AP) — A Philippine court tan Manila. The place of de- Maj. Gen. Edgard Arevalo
has ordered the early release tention was agreed to under said the military will help
for good conduct of a U.S. the terms of the treaty allies’ Bureau of Corrections jail
Marine convicted in the Visiting Forces Agreement, personnel release Pember-
2014 killing of a transgender although Laude’s family had ton once it receives the court
Filipino which sparked an- demanded that Pemberton order. In December 2015, a
ger in the former American be held in an ordinary jail. judge convicted Pemberton
colony. The Regional Trial “The light penalty imposed of homicide, not the more
Court Branch 74’s order on Pemberton proves that serious charge of murder
on Tuesday for the release despite the president’s in- as prosecutors sought. The
of Lance Cpl. Joseph Scott dependent foreign policy, Olongapo court judge said
Pemberton drew protests Americans continue to have at the time that she down-
from the family and lawyers the status of conquering graded the charge because In this Dec. 1, 2015, file photo, convicted U.S. Marine Lance
of Jennifer Laude, who was colonials in our country,” factors such as cruelty and Cpl. Joseph Scott Pemberton is escorted to his detention cell
found dead in a motel room Roque said. treachery had not been upon arrival at Camp Aguinaldo at suburban Quezon city,
in Olongapo city, northwest Pemberton’s lawyer, Rowe- proven. Pemberton, an anti- northeast of Manila, Philippines.
of Manila, after they met at na Garcia Flores, said his de- tank missile operator from Associated Press
a disco bar in October 2014. tention was shortened by au- New Bedford, Massachu-
Pemberton has been held six thorities under a Philippine setts, was one of thousands the country in 2014. He and friends at a bar in Olongapo,
years of a maximum 10-year law that also applies to Fili- of American and Philippine a group of other Marines a city known for its nightlife
jail term, mostly in a com- pinos. If all of Pemberton’s military personnel who par- were on leave after the exer- outside Subic Bay, a former
pound jointly guarded by good-conduct merits in jail ticipated in joint exercises in cises and met Laude and her U.S. Navy base. q