Cairo: Ethiopia’s unilateral actions in building, filling Renaissance Dam pose existential threat to Egyptians

CAIRO – 28 April 2024: Speaking about the impacts of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) on the downstream countries of the Nile (Egypt and Sudan), Egyptian Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation, Hani Sweilem, stated that Ethiopia's unilateral actions regarding the construction and filling of the dam constitute an existential threat to more than 150 million Egyptians.

During his address at the opening session of the Fourth Baghdad International Water Conference, Sweilem emphasized that Ethiopia's actions do not adhere to the principles of international law.

He added that Ethiopia constructed the dam without conducting adequate studies on safety or assessing its economic, social, and environmental impacts on the riparian countries. "These actions are unilateral and non-cooperative," he remarked.

The Minister continued by asserting that Ethiopia's actions constitute a violation of international law, including the Declaration of Principles agreement signed in 2015.

In March 2024, Minister of Foreign Affairs Sameh Shokry criticized Ethiopia's intransigence and disregard for the principle of good neighborliness, which has led Egypt to suspend negotiations aimed at reaching a legally binding agreement on the filling and operation of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).

Shokry made these statements during the second Egypt-GCC Consultative Meeting held in Riyadh, where he updated his counterparts on the dispute concerning the dam.