CAIRO, Egypt – Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi on Sunday accused Ethiopia of harming downstream nations by operating a massive dam on the Blue Nile, calling its conduct “reckless actions” and urging the international community to confront it.
In a recorded address to the 8th Cairo Water Week, El-Sisi stated that Egypt would take “all necessary measures” to protect its interests and water security.
His remarks signal a significant escalation in rhetoric in the long-standing Egypt-Ethiopia Nile dam dispute, which has repeatedly stalled despite international mediation efforts.
El-Sisi said Ethiopia has caused harm through “irregular water discharges made without prior notification or coordination.” He insisted that years of diplomatic efforts should not be mistaken for weakness.
The president stated this approach was “an expression of strength, maturity, and belief in dialogue and cooperation to safeguard the interests of all Nile Basin states without endangering any.”
The latest tensions follow the completion of the final filling stage of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) reservoir earlier this year, a move Egypt and Sudan have consistently condemned as a violation of international principles.
A decade of deadlock
The dispute centers on the $4.6 billion hydroelectric dam —the largest in Africa —located on the Blue Nile in Ethiopia, near the Sudan border. Construction began in 2011. Ethiopia says the project is essential for its economic development and will provide electricity to millions of its citizens.
Egypt, which relies on the Nile for over 98 percent of its freshwater, fears the dam will severely reduce its water supply. Sudan, located between the two, has expressed concerns about the dam’s operational safety and its own water flows.
More than a decade of negotiations, mediated by the African Union (AU) and observed by the United States and European Union, have failed to produce a comprehensive agreement.
The main points of contention include the rules for managing the dam during prolonged droughts and the establishment of a legally binding dispute-resolution mechanism. The most recent round of talks collapsed in late 2023.
El-Sisi on Sunday asserted that Egypt had pursued a “fair and wise diplomatic path” and proposed multiple technical solutions.
He claimed these proposals were met with “intransigence that can only be explained by the absence of political will and a desire to impose a unilateral reality driven by narrow political considerations.”
Regional stability at risk
El-Sisi framed the Egypt-Ethiopia Nile dam issue as a matter of existence for his country’s more than 100 million people.
He highlighted that Egypt is one of the world’s most water-scarce nations, with per capita water availability of about 500 cubic meters, half the United Nations (UN) global water-poverty line.
He rejected what he called Ethiopia’s “false claims of exclusive sovereignty over the Nile,” stating the river is the joint property of all riparian states and cannot be monopolized. His speech directly called for global intervention to address the stalemate.
“Such reckless actions by the Ethiopian administration must be confronted by the international community in general and the African continent in particular,” El-Sisi stated.
Analysts have warned that the failure of diplomacy could lead to greater instability in an already volatile region.
According to a report from the International Crisis Group (ICG), while military conflict is not imminent, the risk of miscalculation grows as the dam becomes fully operational without an agreement in place.
El-Sisi’s strong language suggests Cairo’s strategic patience is nearing its limit. He affirmed that while cooperation is preferred, Egypt’s security remains paramount.
The ongoing dispute over the Egypt-Ethiopia Nile dam remains a critical flashpoint for regional security, with no clear diplomatic path forward.