Addis Abeba — Ethiopia's Minister of Water and Energy, Habtamu Itefa, has dismissed Egypt's "unfounded accusations" against the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), saying Cairo would benefit more from returning to negotiations under previously agreed frameworks than continuing unrealistic claims against the project.
In remarks reported by state affiliated broadcaster FMC on 28 July, Habtamu said the GERD, widely described as a continental project symbolizing African cooperation and self-reliance, should be viewed as "a blessing rather than a threat" to downstream countries.
Egypt has maintained allegations against the dam throughout its construction and after its completion despite what Ethiopia says is evidence that the project has not caused significant harm.
The minister argued that it was unreasonable for Egypt to portray the dam as a "security threat", noting that Ethiopia financed and built the project with domestic resources to meet its growing electricity demand. He added that the GERD contributes to regional integration by exporting electricity to neighboring countries including Sudan, Djibouti, and Kenya, while helping regulate seasonal flooding affecting Sudan and Egypt.
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Discover moreGeographic ReferenceNewsWater Supply & Treatment Habtamu also rejected Egypt's assertions that Ethiopia's filling and operation of the GERD had reduced water levels in Egyptian reservoirs, describing such claims as "unacceptable." Instead, he said Ethiopia remained committed to regional integration and shared economic growth, insisting that Egypt would gain more by negotiating under agreed common frameworks than by advancing baseless accusations. He further stressed that Ethiopia, as a sovereign state, retains the right to develop and utilize its natural resources.
Election coverage Ethiopia The latest remarks come amid renewed accusations by top Egyptian officials claiming that the dam poses threat to "Egypt's water security". Last week, Egypt accused Ethiopia of operating the dam in a "politicized" and unilateral manner, arguing that its actions have adversely affected both Egypt and Sudan. Speaking at a joint press conference in Cairo alongside Mozambican Foreign Minister Manuela Lucas, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty described water security as an "existential" issue for Egypt and a national priority that "cannot be compromised."
Abdelatty said Egypt has repeatedly warned that Ethiopia developed and operates the GERD through unilateral measures that disregard international law and the principle of prior coordination. He maintained that "Ethiopia, as an upstream country, cannot act unilaterally," reiterating Cairo's longstanding call for a legally binding agreement governing the dam's filling and operation.
Discover moreAfricans & DiasporaPoliticsTravel Guides & TraveloguesNewspaperspoliticalHistoryHydropowerLocal NewsMagazinesTourist Destinations In June this year, U.S. President Donald Trump revived calls for Washington to mediate the GERD dispute after describing the project as creating "tremendous problems" for Egypt. Ethiopian officials and analysts rejected the proposal, arguing that previous U.S.-led mediation efforts under Trump's first term favored Cairo and undermined Ethiopia's sovereign rights over the project.
Tourist Destinations Egypt's claim also evolved as the GERD has become operational. Rather than focusing solely on halting the dam's development, Egypt has increasingly pressed for a legally binding agreement governing its operation and has raised demands for compensation over what it claims are damages resulting from Ethiopia's unilateral filling and operation of the reservoir. Formal trilateral negotiations involving Ethiopia, Egypt, and Sudan have remained stalled after previous rounds collapsed over Egypt's insistence for a binding agreement on filling and operational aspects of the dam.
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Ethiopia has consistently maintained that the GERD does not significantly reduce downstream water flows and argues that regulated releases from the dam help mitigate destructive floods while improving regional energy connectivity. Egypt, however, continues to reject what it describes as "unilateral operation of the dam", arguing that Ethiopia's management of the reservoir poses risks to its "water security."
Habtamu's statement marks Addis Abeba's latest rejection of Cairo's position, reiterating that Ethiopia sees the path forward in renewed negotiations based on previously agreed African Union-led frameworks rather than what it views as escalating political accusations.
Read the original article on Addis Standard.
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