I'm in Egypt. I was here two weeks ago, but I had another break from work in Jordan, so I've come back. Currently I'm at a beach backpacker town in the Sinai Peninsula. I may stay here, or I may head to Luxor soon.
But I'm not writing a travel diary, this is a political news site. And with all the news about Representative Giffords, I've realized there's an important story left out of the Daily Kos dialog.
Yesterday, polling began in Southern Sudan and the surrounding countries for the independence of Southern Sudan. Technically, it is a succession vote, and may or may not pass, but it seems pretty much like a formality.
Last night, I was talking to some pretty educated Egyptians about the situation as they saw it. They asked me first, and I responded that I thought it as good that they got to express their own vote, but I do not know the history surrounding the issue.
They began to explain to me. Israel has occupied Palestine, America has occupied Iraq. Arabs are continually hoping for not just national unity, but for a common nation of Arabs--something much more than the Arab League. Egypt is the cultural and economic powerhouse of the Arab states. It has 90 million people and exports its entertainment and opinions easily to other Arab countries.
He told me he couldn't blame America and Israel for splitting the worlds largest Arab country, Sudan, in half. He said he had to blame his own government and the government of Sudan. You see, for decades now, the North has been taking all the oil from Southern Sudan, processing it, and keeping the money for themselves. He said it had much to do with racism, you see the people of Southern Sudan are much darker than in the north and aren't given jobs up north. He blamed the government of Sudan for creating inequality in the society for decades.
But it didn't stop there, Egypt should have applied pressure to its neighbor, you see, because it is also an Egyptian security issue. The Nile begins in Southern Sudan. And, all 90 million of Egypts citizens (mostly) depend on the Nile for crops and water sources. With the Nile out of Arab control, in the form of a Southern Sudan government backed by, my friend says, America and Israel, the Nile and the Egyptian people cannot truly be safe.
Israel uses too much of its water from the Jordan river. It needs, no requires, more and more. If it can control the Nile, and import produce and water from Southern Sudan, it can be more secure itself. But, then the water will dry up in Egypt, sparking one of these mythical water wars of the future.
So, here we are. A referrendum for independence. Or maybe, a call to Arab war. Enshallah, this will not happen, but we do not know for sure.
In the coming days, please support George Clooney's Satellite Sentinel.
*See Al Jazeera International for some great reporting and opinion concerning the issue, including this one
*Opinions mentioned are my own and my friends own. This is just trying to be an international opinion being expressed.