Ahmed Kamel – Egypt Daily News
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdel Atty has declared that negotiations over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) have reached a dead end, warning that Egypt is prepared to take action under international law should its water interests be harmed.
Abdel Atty said, “Egypt’s position is clear the negotiations have reached a deadlock.” He added, “We are closely monitoring the situation, and we oppose any unilateral measures. Should any harm occur, Egypt will take steps necessary to safeguard its water rights in accordance with international law.”
Abdel Atty reiterated this stance during a joint press conference on Monday with Ivorian Foreign Minister Léon Kacou Adom in Cairo. “Egypt will not hesitate to defend its water security by all legitimate means,” he stated. He also reaffirmed Cairo’s continued commitment to African solidarity, saying Egypt will always support the interests of its fellow African nations.
Rising Tensions as Ethiopia Plans Dam Celebration
Tensions have escalated as Ethiopia prepares to inaugurate the GERD with an official ceremony scheduled for September. Earlier in July, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed announced that the dam’s construction would be completed by the end of this summer.
In response, Egypt renewed its condemnation of Ethiopia’s “unilateral approach” in managing the controversial project. Egyptian officials argue that continued filling and operation of the dam without a legally binding agreement with downstream countries Egypt and Sudan constitutes a clear violation of international law.
Egyptian Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Hani Sewilam recently warned that Ethiopia’s actions pose a direct threat to the water security of both Egypt and Sudan. “The Ethiopian behavior disregards fundamental principles of international water law, including equitable and reasonable utilization of shared water resources,” he said.
A Legal and Diplomatic Standoff
Cairo has long insisted that a comprehensive and binding agreement is essential to regulate the dam’s filling and operation in order to protect the livelihoods of over 100 million Egyptians who rely almost exclusively on the Nile for fresh water. Despite years of African Union–led and trilateral talks with Ethiopia and Sudan, efforts to reach such an agreement have repeatedly stalled.
While Egypt has consistently favored diplomatic and legal avenues, the repeated failure of negotiations and Ethiopia’s continued dam operations without consensus have prompted Cairo to consider more assertive measures. These could include appealing to international bodies such as the United Nations or the International Court of Justice.
Ethiopia, for its part, maintains that the dam is a sovereign infrastructure project critical to its national development and energy security, insisting that it does not intend to harm downstream countries.
With the dam’s inauguration looming and no agreement in sight, observers warn that the GERD dispute could escalate further, carrying significant implications for regional stability and international water diplomacy.
