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MONDAY, JUNE 15, 2020
BEIRUT (AP) — Lebanese protesters took
to the streets in Beirut and other cities on
Saturday night in mostly peaceful protests
against the government, calling for its resig-
nation as the small country sinks deeper into
economic distress.
The protests come after two days of rallies
spurred by a dramatic collapse of the local cur-
rency against the dollar. Those rallies degener-
ated into violence, including attacks on private
banks and shops.
The local currency, pegged to the dollar
for nearly 30 years, has been on a downward
trajectory for weeks, losing over 60 per cent of
its value. But the dramatic collapse this week
deepened public despair over the already trou-
bled economy. Lebanon is heavily dependent
on imports, and the dollar and local currency
have been used interchangeably for years.
The unparalleled economic and inan-
cial crises are proving a major challenge to
the government of Prime Minister Hassan
Diab, who took of ice earlier this year after
his predecessor resigned amid nationwide
protests. Soon after taking of ice, Diab was
faced with handling the coronavirus pan-
demic, which put the country in lockdown
for months, further compounding the crisis.
Diab’s government is supported by the
powerful militant group Hezbollah and its al-
lies, but has already been weakened by the
economic crisis.
In a speech, Diab urged the public to be pa-
tient, saying there were a great many political
CAIRO (AFP) - Egypt said on Saturday that
tripartite talks with Ethiopia and Sudan
over a controversial mega-dam on the
River Nile were deadlocked because of
Addis Ababa’s “intransigence”.
The Grand Ethiopia Renaissance Dam
(GERD) has been a source of tension in the
Nile River basin ever since Ethiopia broke
ground on it nearly a decade ago.
Ethiopia sees the dam as essential for
its electri ication and development, while
Sudan and Egypt view it as a threat to es-
sential water supplies.
Spokesperson for Egypt’s Water Re-
sources and Irrigation Ministry Mohamed
al-Sebaie said he “is not optimistic about
theprospects of achievingabreakthrough
during the ongoing negotiations” on the
dam in a press release posted to the min-
istry’s Facebook page.
This was due to “Ethiopia’s intransi-
gence which, once again, became abun-
dantly clear during the ongoing meetings
of the ministers of water resources of
Egypt, Ethiopia, and Sudan”, he added.
The strongly-worded statement fol-
lows days of negotiations over the project
amid heightened urgency to reach a deal
ahead of Addis Ababa’s plans to start ill-
ing the dam in July.
“Ethiopia’s position is that Egypt
and Sudan should either sign a text that
would make them hostages to Ethiopia’s
will and whim or accept Ethiopia’s deci-
sion to unilaterally ill the GERD,” Sebaie’s
statement said.
Lebanon protesters call on
government to resign amid crisis
Protesters shout slogans against the government in Beirut, Lebanon. PHOTO: AP
Egypt accuses Ethiopia
of holding it ‘hostage’
in Nile dam talks
hurdles, including from rivals he said sought to
undermine his government. Diab offered no solu-
tions to thecrisis, nor didhenamehis opponents,
but said his government is working to ight cor-
ruption and uphold the power of the state.
For the protesters, many of them members
of organised political parties, Diab’s govern-
ment has failed to handle the crisis.
A political activist Neemat Badreddin de-
scribed the government as captive to the inter-
ests of political groups and not the public.
“This current government proved to be a
failure,” said Badreddin, wearing a face mask
featuring the Lebanese lag with its green cedar
tree in the centre. “We want a new government
... we want stability and we want to be able to
live without begging or without people having
to migrate.”
Protesters in Beirut carried a banner that
read “There is an alternative.”
In the southern city of Sidon, some directed
their wrath at the central bank governor. One
protester raised a banner called him the “pro-
tector of all thieves in Lebanon”.
In Tripoli, army troops forcefully dispersed
dozens of protesters who had blocked the
road preventing trucks from moving forward,
according to videos posted online.