Egypt Warns Ethiopia: We’ll Use Every Legal Weapon to Defend Our Nile Water
Egypt says it is ready to use all options under international law to protect its share of the Nile River as Ethiopia continues to operate a massive dam that Cairo fears will cut its water supply.
Egypt’s Water Minister Hani Sewilam said Cairo is prepared to use every option available under international law to defend its share of the Nile River, as tensions persist over Ethiopia’s Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) on the Blue Nile [246798]. Sewilam described Egypt as a “strong nation of peace” that respects international law, but warned that Cairo knows exactly when and how to act if its water security is threatened [246798]. He did not specify what steps Egypt might take, but the statement signals that Cairo is keeping pressure on Ethiopia as talks over the dam continue [246798].
The dispute centers on the GERD, a huge dam Ethiopia is building on the Blue Nile. Egypt fears the project will reduce its water supply [246798]. Cairo has repeatedly objected to Ethiopia’s unilateral operation of the dam [246346].
In a separate move, Egypt approved South Sudan’s planned Grand Fula Dam after reviewing technical studies on the project, Sewilam said. At the same time, Cairo repeated its objections to Ethiopia’s unilateral operation of the GERD [246346].
The Nile is a lifeline for millions of people in downstream communities who depend on it for drinking water, farming, and daily survival.