The Media Line: Egypt Warns Ethiopia Over Plans for More Nile Dams  

Egypt Warns Ethiopia Over Plans for More Nile Dams  

By The Media Line Staff  

Egypt warned Ethiopia on Sunday against attempting to control Nile River flows to downstream countries, saying Cairo has multiple options to defend its water interests following remarks by Ethiopia’s water minister about potentially building additional dams.  

An Egyptian official issued the warning after Ethiopian Minister of Water and Energy Habtamu Geleta said his country could construct more dams on the river, potentially giving Ethiopia greater control over water flowing toward Egypt and Sudan.  

Egypt has “several means at its disposal and is capable of defending the interests of its people when it comes to the Nile,” the official said, according to Egypt’s state-run MENA news agency.  

“Egypt will not accept or allow any party to control the Nile’s flow to downstream countries,” he said.  

Diplomats and observers told Asharq Al-Awsat that Geleta’s remarks indicated that the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) could be used to give Addis Ababa political leverage over Cairo rather than functioning solely as the development project Ethiopia has presented it as.  

The Egyptian official said Geleta’s statements reflected Ethiopia’s “delusions about its ability to impose control over a river it shares with others.”  

He described the comments as “dangerous,” saying they indicated an intention to establish control over a shared international water source.  

“Ethiopia is using its geographic location to threaten the water rights and interests of downstream countries in violation of international law. Egypt will not allow it,” he said.  

Cairo has previously told the UN Security Council that it would use all available means to protect Egyptians’ rights to Nile water, the official added.  

Egypt and Ethiopia have been at odds over the GERD for 15 years, since Ethiopia began construction on the Blue Nile in 2011. The dam was inaugurated about a year ago.  

Ethiopia says the hydroelectric project is necessary for development and electricity generation. Egypt, which relies heavily on the Nile, fears the dam could reduce its share of river water and threaten its water security.  

Years of negotiations, including talks involving Sudan, have failed to produce a binding agreement regulating the dam’s operation.