Challenges and Opportunities of Public Diplomacy in Ethio-Egyptian Relations on the Nile Water: Since 2011

Abstract

The central objective of the study is to explore the Challenges and Opportunities of Public Diplomacy in Ethio-Egyptian Relations on the Nile Water since 2011. To this end, the researcher has employed the pure qualitative method. The data are mainly obtained from secondary sources and unstructured interviews, and the researcher has employed qualitative methods of narrative and discourse data analysis. The bilateral relations between Ethiopia and Egypt mainly found on the Nile issue. Thus, Egypt dispatched the first public diplomacy delegation to Ethiopia in April 2011 and the Ethiopian public diplomacy delegation to Egypt in December, 2014 represents a new positive development in the Ethio-Egyptian relations. Based on the data, the study outlined: the legacy of colonialism and the status quo attitudes; deficient in understanding about public diplomacy; finance and time limitations; and Limitations of public diplomacy professionals and literatures are the major obstacles of conducting public diplomacy. Whereas, a method of resolving the mistrusts and conflicts; modifying negative attitudes; avoiding one side role of politicians and medias; and facilitate to have common agreement or treaties are the major opportunities of public diplomacy. Thus, to conclude that, there is an encouraging start which gives rise to optimism and Public diplomacy most importantly improves these problems in the relations between the two countries and thereby could boost up the mutual utilization of the Nile water with trusts and confidences. Following this conclusion, the study suggests that Ethiopia and Egypt should work hard to build trusts and confidences for mutual utilization of the Nile water by strengthening the two people’s relations via consolidating the public diplomacy roles, goals, and dimensions with having its own legal status, budgets, literature, professionals and coordination departments in their Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Keywords: Public Diplomacy, Soft Power, Ethiopia, Egypt, Nile, Mutual, Qualitative, Narrative, Discourse, Optimism