Ahmed Kamel – Egypt Daily News
In a firm diplomatic move, Egypt has formally addressed the United Nations Security Council to raise objections over the latest developments surrounding the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), accusing Ethiopia of continuing unilateral actions that violate international law and threaten the water security of downstream nations.
On Monday, Egypt’s Foreign Minister, Dr. Badr Abdel Aaty, submitted an official letter to the Security Council following Ethiopia’s recent celebration of the full operational launch of the GERD, a ceremony Cairo described as a political stunt designed to grant the controversial project a false sense of legitimacy.
The letter emphasized that Egypt has consistently chosen the path of diplomacy and multilateral engagement, even as Ethiopia has proceeded unilaterally with construction and filling of the dam on the Blue Nile. “Over the years, Egypt has exercised the utmost restraint,” the statement reads, “not out of an inability to protect our vital interests, but out of a deep conviction in the importance of cooperation and shared development among the Nile Basin countries, in accordance with international law.”
Cairo’s message to the Security Council made clear that despite repeated efforts to engage constructively, Ethiopia’s actions remain a blatant violation of established legal frameworks. Egypt underscored that the GERD project continues to move forward without any binding agreement with downstream countries Egypt and Sudan, a direct challenge to international norms governing transboundary rivers.
The foreign minister criticized what he described as “futile attempts” to lend legitimacy to the dam through symbolic ceremonies and one-sided declarations. “The dam remains an unlawful, unilateral measure,” Abdel Aaty stated, “and it does not alter the legal rights and obligations that govern the Eastern Nile Basin under international law.”
Egypt also cited Ethiopia’s recent behavior as part of a broader pattern of disregard for international consensus, including violations of the Security Council’s own presidential statement issued on September 15, 2021, which called for a negotiated solution under the auspices of the African Union.
Reiterating its longstanding position, Egypt firmly rejected all unilateral Ethiopian measures on the Nile and affirmed that it does not recognize the consequences or legitimacy of such actions. The letter to the UN Security Council stressed that the interests of the downstream nations particularly the existential water needs of Egypt and Sudan—must be safeguarded.
“The Ethiopian approach is not only a breach of legal obligations, but a direct threat to the lives and livelihoods of millions who depend on the Nile,” the letter concluded. Egypt warned that while it remains committed to diplomacy, it retains the capability and the sovereign right to defend its national interests if provoked.
The GERD, located near Ethiopia’s border with Sudan, has long been a point of contention between the three countries. While Ethiopia views the dam as vital for its economic development and energy needs, Egypt and Sudan fear the project will significantly reduce their share of Nile waters, upon which they are heavily dependent.
As regional tensions resurface, Egypt’s latest appeal to the Security Council signals that the crisis over the Nile is far from over, and may once again become a focal point of international diplomatic concern.
