The Arab Republic of Egypt, through its Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Hani Sewilam, reiterated its firm rejection of what it called the “unilateral measures” taken by Ethiopia regarding the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD). Egypt warned against the approach of “water hegemony” and “imposing a fait accompli,” which it said threatens the interests of the downstream countries—Egypt and Sudan—and violates international law governing transboundary watercourses.
This came during a meeting between the minister and a group of newly appointed Egyptian ambassadors assigned to lead diplomatic missions abroad. The meeting, which was attended by Foreign Minister and Minister of Immigration Badr Abdelatty, included an update on the progress of the GERD negotiations. The minister highlighted what he called a “lack of political will on the Ethiopian side,” pointing out that more than 13 years of negotiations have failed to produce a legally binding agreement.
Sewilam noted that Ethiopia continues to promote the completion of the dam’s construction despite the absence of an agreement, describing this as a blatant violation of international law and an attempt to impose water hegemony rather than adhering to the principle of partnership. He also characterized Ethiopia’s calls to resume negotiations as “superficial” and not reflective of a genuine intention to reach solutions.
The minister affirmed that Egypt will not accept that development in Ethiopia comes at the expense of the rights of the downstream nations. He emphasized the importance of all states adhering to the principles of equitable and reasonable utilization of water resources and the obligation not to cause significant harm.
