Ethiopia Hits Out at Egypt as Nile Dam Row Escalates

Ethiopia has called on Egypt to "abandon its aggressive approach" toward the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) on the River Nile, as tensions between the two nations continue to escalate. The Ethiopian statement came in response to a letter Egypt sent to the UN Security Council accusing Ethiopia of violating international law by continuing to fill the dam without an agreement from downstream countries. Ethiopia rejected what it described as "a litany of unfounded allegations" from Cairo. This latest escalation in the decade-long dispute coincides with Egypt strengthening military ties with Somalia, Ethiopia’s eastern neighbor, which has its own disagreements with Addis Ababa. The origins of this row date back to 2011, when Ethiopia began constructing the GERD on the Blue Nile, the tributary from which 85% of the Nile's waters flow. For Egypt, the Nile is a vital lifeline, and it fears the dam could disrupt the flow, threatening its water supply.

Egypt also invokes colonial-era treaties that it claims guarantee its right to veto upstream projects on the Nile. However, Ethiopia views the dam as essential to its development goals, aiming to bring electricity to millions of homes and boost its economy. The dam, now nearing completion, has been filling with water since 2020 and has already begun generating power. Egypt, along with Sudan—another downstream country—continues to express concerns that their critical water supplies could be threatened, especially in years of drought.

Despite multiple diplomatic efforts, no binding deal has been reached. The most recent talks ended in deadlock last December, with both sides blaming the other for the failure to reach an agreement. In its letter to the Security Council, Ethiopia accused Egypt of seeking to "perpetuate its self-claimed monopoly" over the river, asserting that the GERD will benefit the entire region through improved energy access and water management. Meanwhile, tensions across the Horn of Africa have risen, fueled in part by a recent military agreement between Egypt and Somalia. Relations between Ethiopia and Somalia have soured further since Ethiopia signed a deal with Somaliland, a self-declared republic, granting Ethiopia access to the sea and potential use of the coastline for a naval base. Somalia, which views Somaliland as part of its territory, condemned the agreement as an "act of aggression." Amid rising tensions, Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed delivered a stark warning, saying that any force attempting to attack his country, whether "from afar or nearby," would be repelled. He did not, however, specify which country he was referring to. ⚡ Image Credit: GettyImages