The dispute between Ethiopia and Egypt over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) has intensified, with Addis Ababa dismissing Cairo’s latest objections as baseless and rooted in outdated colonial-era treaties.
The $4.2 billion project — Africa’s largest dam, with a 74-billion-cubic-meter capacity and a 5,150-megawatt power output — was inaugurated on September 9 in the presence of several regional leaders. Egypt and Sudan, however, boycotted the event, maintaining that the dam threatens their water security and the livelihoods of millions of people downstream.
At the recently concluded UN General Assembly, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty condemned Ethiopia’s “destabilizing unilateral policies” and announced Cairo’s intention to take the case to the International Court of Justice. He argued that Ethiopia’s completion of GERD without binding agreements amounted to imposing a fait accompli on downstream states.
Responding under the UN’s Right of Reply, Ethiopia’s Deputy Permanent Representative, Yoseph Kassaye, dismissed Egypt’s claims as “unfounded and misleading.” He argued that Ethiopia’s position is guided by the principle of equitable and reasonable use of shared resources, which would benefit all Nile Basin countries.
“The stark contrast between Ethiopia’s long-standing policy of cooperation and Egypt’s continued hostility is clear,” Kassaye said, stressing that Cairo’s reliance on “historic rights” derived from colonial-era treaties was unjust.
He further accused Egypt of attempting to monopolize the Nile while ignoring Ethiopia’s right to provide its people with clean water, food security, and electricity. Kassaye also contrasted Ethiopia’s inclusive approach during GERD’s planning with Egypt’s unilateral construction of the Aswan High Dam, which he claimed displaced communities and destroyed cultural heritage.
Despite multiple rounds of negotiations, Ethiopia said Egypt has consistently sought “unreasonable concessions” without demonstrating genuine interest in a mutually beneficial solution. Kassaye also accused Egypt of destabilizing the region through arms shipments and political interference.
Addis Ababa criticized Cairo for trying to internationalize the issue, calling it “an effort to exploit the UN platform for narrow political purposes and to deflect attention from its own internal and regional challenges.”
Source:Africa Publicity
