Ahmed Kamel – Egypt Daily News
In a renewed escalation of tensions over the Nile River, Ethiopia has firmly rejected Egypt’s longstanding demands regarding water rights and resource sharing. In a statement issued by the Ethiopian Ministry of Water and Energy on Monday, Addis Ababa reaffirmed its intent to continue major development projects on the Nile, including the contentious Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) declaring that “Ethiopia’s rise is a reality that cannot be reversed.”
The ministry emphasized that Ethiopia, which contributes approximately 85% of the Nile’s waters through the Blue Nile, will not relinquish what it describes as its sovereign right to utilize the river’s resources. It explicitly dismissed the validity of existing international treaties governing Nile water distribution, including the historical agreements that grant Egypt the lion’s share of the river’s flow.
The statement also criticized Egypt’s stance as “unjustified,” calling Cairo’s claims to water rights outdated and unsubstantiated in the context of regional development and population growth. Ethiopia further encouraged other Nile Basin countries to align with its approach, endorsing the Cooperative Framework Agreement (CFA), a Nile Basin initiative which Cairo has consistently refused to sign, citing concerns over its implications for Egypt’s water security.
This latest declaration signals a deepening rift between upstream and downstream nations, with Ethiopia positioning itself as a rising regional power determined to leverage its natural resources for development, regardless of regional objections.
Egypt, for its part, views the situation with increasing alarm. President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi has repeatedly warned that Ethiopia’s unilateral actions regarding GERD pose significant risks to both Egypt and Sudan, the two downstream countries. Speaking at a recent event, El-Sisi accused Ethiopia of mismanaging the dam’s operations, leading to irregular water flows that have adversely affected agricultural cycles and water availability in the lower Nile Basin.
“These uncoordinated discharges have caused damage in both Egypt and Sudan,” President El-Sisi said, referencing what Cairo sees as a lack of transparency and cooperation on Ethiopia’s part. He reiterated Egypt’s demand for a binding agreement that would regulate the dam’s filling and operation, ensuring the protection of downstream interests.
The dispute over the Nile has long been a flashpoint in regional politics, complicated by colonial-era agreements, rising populations, and the growing demand for water. For Ethiopia, GERD symbolizes national pride and progress a massive infrastructure project that promises to transform its economy through electricity generation. For Egypt, the Nile is a lifeline, supplying nearly all of its freshwater needs in a country where rainfall is scarce.
Despite years of negotiations brokered at various times by the African Union, the United States, and other international actors the three main parties, Egypt, Sudan, and Ethiopia, have failed to reach a comprehensive agreement. The latest Ethiopian statement suggests that Addis Ababa is prepared to move forward unilaterally, potentially setting the stage for further diplomatic strain and regional instability.
As the standoff continues, the fate of the Nile and the lives of more than 250 million people who depend on its waters remains entangled in a complex web of national interests, historical grievances, and conflicting visions for the future.
