Ahmed Kamel – Egypt Daily News
Ethiopia has declared the completion of the controversial Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), casting doubt over the future of negotiations with Egypt and Sudan, and reigniting tensions over the long-disputed project on the Blue Nile. Just days ahead of the dam’s formal inauguration, Ethiopian officials struck a defiant tone, asserting their sovereign right to manage Nile waters, while Egypt issued strong warnings against unilateral actions that threaten regional stability.
In an interview published by the Ethiopian newspaper The Reporter, Ethiopia’s Minister of Water and Energy, Habtamu Itefa, declared: “The construction of the dam is complete. So, what exactly are we negotiating?” He added bluntly, “I don’t see anything Ethiopia can or should concede.”
Itefa defended Ethiopia’s unilateral filling and operation of the dam, stating that the 2015 Declaration of Principles signed by Egypt, Sudan, and Ethiopia effectively allowed his country to build and fill GERD. “That agreement gave us the legitimacy,” he said, while criticizing Egypt for refusing to engage meaningfully. “We invited the Egyptians to access accurate information. They declined.”
Turning the tables on Egypt, Itefa questioned Cairo’s own water projects. “The Nile originates from our territory. We have the right to ask Egypt about the dams they are building,” he said. He revealed that he had formally written to Egypt’s Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation to inquire about the new Nile City project, which is reportedly dependent on Nile water. “They should have consulted us. The Blue Nile belongs to all of us,” he asserted.
Itefa also made a shocking claim that up to 15,000 workers may have died during the 14-year construction of GERD, a figure not previously made public and one that is likely to raise further questions about the human cost of the project.
Egypt Responds: “Unilateralism is Unacceptable”
The Egyptian government responded swiftly. Water Minister Dr. Hani Sewilam rejected Ethiopia’s narrative, stressing that Egypt categorically opposes Addis Ababa’s continued imposition of a de facto reality through unilateral decisions regarding an international watercourse.
“Ethiopia’s insistence on filling and operating the dam without an agreement is a clear violation of international law,” Sewilam said, referencing rules on equitable and reasonable use of transboundary rivers and the obligation not to cause significant harm.
He criticized Ethiopia’s portrayal of the dam as a completed, legitimate project. “The Ethiopian side promotes the idea of a ‘completed’ dam in violation of the principles they themselves signed in 2015, and despite the fundamental reservations expressed by Egypt and Sudan.”
Dr. Sewilam described Ethiopia’s repeated calls for negotiations as disingenuous. “What we are seeing are performative gestures aimed at polishing Ethiopia’s international image, not sincere efforts to reach a binding agreement,” he said. “More than 13 years of fruitless talks prove the absence of political will.”
Egypt continues to invest heavily in water management to bridge the widening gap between resources and needs, through major wastewater reuse projects like New Delta, Bahr El-Baqar, and Al-Mahsama, as well as irrigation modernization.
Cairo maintains that it will not allow development in upstream countries to come at the expense of the rights of downstream nations. “Egypt will not accept water hegemony. The Nile is a shared resource, not a tool for regional dominance,” Sewilam warned.
Ethiopia Eyes More Dams, Claims Regional Benefits
Meanwhile, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed hinted at future projects along the Blue Nile, suggesting that GERD is only the beginning. “We can build more dams in the Nile Basin to generate massive amounts of electricity not just for Ethiopia, but for the benefit of the entire region and for environmental protection,” he said in a televised address from the dam site, as reported by Ethiopia’s state broadcaster, Fana.
Abiy emphasized that GERD is not designed to harm downstream nations, reiterating Ethiopia’s position that it has no intention of cutting off water flow to Egypt or Sudan. “The water that is stored is passed on. It continues to be used for irrigation and daily needs in both countries,” he said.
He rejected claims that Ethiopia has disrupted the natural flow of the Nile. “Stopping the river’s flow is neither scientifically possible nor technically feasible. The dam was not built for that purpose,” he stated.
GERD currently holds around 74 billion cubic meters of water. Despite that, Abiy said, “The Nile continues to flow to our neighbors, proving wrong the assumption that this dam will block the river.”
Economic Stakes and Regional Tensions
Abiy also pointed to the economic rationale behind the dam, saying it will pay for itself within a few years through electricity generation and regional energy exports. Ethiopia views GERD as a cornerstone of its development strategy and a symbol of national pride.
But for Egypt and Sudan, the stakes are existential. Egypt relies on the Nile for over 90% of its freshwater needs and fears the dam will reduce its water supply during drought years or critical agricultural periods.
The GERD dispute has repeatedly escalated into diplomatic standoffs, and while military conflict remains unlikely, the impasse has strained relations between the three countries. International mediators, including the African Union and the United States, have attempted to broker deals in the past without success.
A Fork in the River
As Ethiopia prepares for the formal inauguration of GERD, Egypt remains adamant that any long-term operation of the dam must be governed by a legally binding agreement. Without one, Cairo warns, the region risks entering an era of instability fueled by water insecurity.
