Egypt issues a stern warning to Ethiopia, promising to take action under international law

Egypt has issued a stern warning to Ethiopia about the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), with Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty declaring that Cairo will take action if the project threatens Egypt's water interests.

• Egypt has issued a warning to Ethiopia regarding potential threats posed by the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam to its water security.
• Egyptian authorities emphasize the necessity for adherence to negotiated resolutions and mutual agreements.
• The conflict escalates due to remarks by international figures influencing the political discourse surrounding the project.

"Egypt's position is clear; the negotiations [on the dam] have reached a dead end. We are monitoring the situation and oppose any unilateral measures. In the event of any damage, we will be obliged to take measures to protect our water interests in accordance with international law," the minister said.

President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi reiterated the warning on Tuesday, emphasizing that Egypt will not tolerate threats to its water security or allow unilateral measures regarding the Nile River.

He implied that the matter might be part of a larger political strain on Cairo, warning that any infringement on Egypt's water rights would result in a strong response.

The comments, given to Russian news site Sputnik, highlight the growing impasse in discussions over the mammoth hydropower project.

The dispute reignited in late July following controversial comments by U.S. President Donald Trump, which Ethiopian officials and civil society groups described as inflammatory and one-sided.

Speaking during a meeting with NATO officials, Trump appeared to align himself with Egypt’s position, a move that Addis Ababa says undermines Ethiopia’s sovereign right to harness its natural resources.

Referring to the dam, Trump said it was “closing up water going to the Nile,” which he described as “a very important source of income and life … to take that away is pretty incredible. But we think we are going to have that solved very quickly.”

He added, “I think if I am Egypt, I want to have water in the Nile, and we are working on that.” A similar incident occurred in 2020 when Trump suggested that the dam should be blown up by Egypt.

In a telephone conversation with Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok, Trump remarked that Egypt "will end up blowing up the dam" if no agreement was reached.

Ethiopian commentators warned that such statements risk aggravating an already fragile diplomatic situation.

Ethiopia and Egypt’s stance on the GERD

Tensions have grown since Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed stated that the GERD, a $4 billion mega-project initially proposed in 2011, was complete and set to be officially opened in September.

The dam, hailed as Africa's largest hydroelectric project, is essential to Ethiopia's efforts to increase energy output, improve industrial capacity, and power millions.

Ethiopia began producing hydroelectric electricity from the GERD in February 2022, marking a significant step toward its development goals.

Egypt declared in December that it would closely watch the process after conversations failed to achieve results.

Since then, the divide between the two countries' stances has only grown wider, with Ethiopia insisting on its right to proceed without external constraints and Egypt requesting a legally defined framework to protect its water rights.

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