Ahmed Kamel – Egypt Daily News
Tensions between Egypt and Ethiopia flared again this week after prominent Egyptian journalist and Member of Parliament Mustafa Bakri sharply criticised a strongly worded statement issued by Ethiopia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The exchange marks the latest escalation in the long-running dispute over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) and the future of Nile water sharing.
Bakri said the Ethiopian statement “crossed all limits of civility and wisdom and violated all diplomatic norms,” arguing that it misrepresented Egypt’s long-standing position on the river. The statement, released by Addis Ababa in response to recent Egyptian comments on the GERD negotiations, accused Cairo of obstructing dialogue and making what it described as veiled and explicit threats.
According to Bakri, Ethiopia’s message distorted Egypt’s efforts to defend its historic rights to Nile waters and downplayed Cairo’s insistence on respecting existing international agreements. “This is a misrepresentation of Egypt’s position,” he said, stressing that Egypt opposes unilateral Ethiopian control over the river and continues to demand that any operation of the GERD be subject to binding rules.
Bakri singled out what he called one of the most inflammatory accusations in the Ethiopian statement: the claim that Egypt is attempting to destabilise the Horn of Africa by influencing neighbouring states that Ethiopia described as “dependent and divided.” He condemned the allegation as “an exaggeration and a lie,” saying it reflects a wider narrative used by Ethiopian officials to deflect increasing domestic criticism of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s government.
As Ethiopia continues filling and operating the GERD without a legally binding agreement with downstream states, Egyptian officials have repeatedly warned of the potential risks to their country’s water security. Bakri reiterated that Cairo “will not give up its water rights” and called on Ethiopia to reconsider its position before the conflict deepens further.
In its statement, Ethiopia rejected what it called Egypt’s “repeated claims” over historic water rights, arguing that Cairo has refused genuine dialogue and remains unwilling to embrace cooperative solutions suitable for “the realities of the 21st century.” Addis Ababa insists that the GERD is essential for its development and accuses Egypt of attempting to preserve colonial-era arrangements that disproportionately benefit downstream states.
The latest war of words highlights the continued deadlock in negotiations and the rising political temperature surrounding the Nile dispute. Despite years of African Union-led talks, no breakthrough has emerged, and both Cairo and Addis Ababa appear increasingly entrenched. Analysts warn that unless meaningful progress is made, the dispute may continue to spill into the public and political arenas, further complicating regional diplomatic efforts.
