Ethiopia’s Ministry of Water and Energy has issued a strongly worded statement accusing Egypt of escalating “hostile rhetoric” over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) and the broader Nile River Basin, calling Cairo’s approach “hegemonic” and “colonial in mindset.”
In the press statement released this week, the Ethiopian government condemned recent remarks by Egyptian officials at a high-level event, where Egypt reportedly claimed to be advancing African solidarity through small-scale development projects such as drilling solar-powered groundwater wells and establishing rainwater harvesting systems in Nile Basin countries.
Ethiopia dismissed these claims as “symbolic gestures” meant to mask Cairo’s ambition to maintain control over Nile waters, saying such an attitude reflects a “skewed interpretation of African solidarity.”
“Genuine solidarity requires acknowledging the right of all nations and peoples to development,” the statement read, emphasizing that all riparian countries must have a fair and equitable share of the Nile’s resources.
The ministry accused Egypt of pursuing policies aimed at undermining Ethiopia rather than fostering collaboration. “Egypt’s colonial-era mindset has led to a failed and misguided policy of domination,” it said, insisting that Ethiopia, which contributes 85 percent of the Nile’s waters, will not abandon its right to utilize the river for national development.
Ethiopia further criticized Egypt for refusing to engage in good faith during past negotiations on the GERD and the Nile Basin Cooperative Framework Agreement (CFA) — the only basin-wide treaty among Nile states. According to the statement, Cairo has long relied on “self-serving colonial-era deals” to justify its claim to “historic rights” over the river, while engaging in “illegal, reckless, and water-wasting practices,” including out-of-basin water diversions without notifying other riparian states.
The statement also rejected Egypt’s warnings of drought and flooding linked to the GERD as “fabricated extremes,” arguing that such claims reflect Cairo’s unwillingness to pursue mutually beneficial solutions. It reaffirmed that Ethiopia and Sudan continue to coordinate effectively on the dam and maintain “brotherly ties for shared development.”
Highlighting its technical expertise, Ethiopia noted its long experience in hydroelectric dam construction and management, pointing to the Green Legacy Initiative as evidence of its commitment to sustainable environmental practices.
“Ethiopia’s rise is a reality that cannot be reversed despite all the machinations and ill-conceived attempts of its adversaries,” the ministry declared, reaffirming the country’s commitment to diplomacy and peaceful coexistence with Egypt.
The statement concluded that Ethiopia has never initiated “unwarranted belligerent statements” against Egypt, emphasizing that any durable solution to the Nile dispute can only emerge through “direct engagement with all concerned parties” and equitable use of shared water resources.
