Egypt addresses UN Security Council regarding Ethiopian PM's GERD remarks

CAIRO – 1 September 2024: Minister of Foreign Affairs Badr Abdelatty has directed a letter to the president of the United Nations Security Council concerning Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s recent remarks on the fifth phase of filling the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).

In the letter, Abdelatty described Ahmed’s statements about reserving a quantity of Blue Nile water this year and completing the concrete structure of the Ethiopian dam as "entirely unacceptable to the Egyptian state."

More good news has emerged from Guba for the lower Abbay basin countries. Along with the uninterrupted flow of the river, the dam's spillways have been opened, releasing an additional 2,800 cubic meters of water per second.

The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) plays a… pic.twitter.com/MqBg2wEgEt

— Abiy Ahmed Ali 🇪🇹 (@AbiyAhmedAli) August 25, 2024

He emphasized that these actions represent "a continuation of Ethiopia's provocative approach towards its neighbors," which "threatens the stability of the region, where most countries aim to strengthen cooperation and integration among each other rather than sow seeds of discord among peoples bound by bonds of brotherhood and common destiny."

Abdelatty affirmed Egypt’s categorical rejection of Ethiopia’s unilateral policies, stating that they violate principles of international law and constitute a clear breach of the Declaration of Principles signed between Egypt, Sudan, and Ethiopia in 2015, as well as the Security Council's Presidential Statement issued on September 15, 2021.

Futile GERD negotiations

The Egyptian letter to the Security Council highlighted the fruitless negotiations on the GERD that lasted for more than a decade between the three countries, asserting that Ethiopia only sought to buy time to solidify the status quo.

"The conclusion of the negotiations paths regarding GERD after 13 years of genuine Egyptian intentions came after it became clear to everyone that Addis Ababa only seeks to prolong the negotiating cover indefinitely to solidify the status quo."

The letter accused the Ethiopian side of lacking the political will required to reach a solution regarding the GERD dispute and seeking to legitimize its unilateral policies contrary to international law, while hiding behind baseless claims that these policies stem from the right of peoples to development.

"Egypt has always been at the forefront of supporting development in the Nile Basin countries," the letter stated in defense of Cairo’s position.

The letter emphasized that development, however, can only be achieved for all through a commitment to cooperative practices reflected in international law, avoiding harm to others and enhancing regional connectivity.

Yesterday we started the 3rd and 4th turbines of our Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam. The rest of the units are proceeding as planned.

Thanks to the creator who made it happen! pic.twitter.com/8Mr1aeRugd

— Abiy Ahmed Ali 🇪🇹 (@AbiyAhmedAli) August 25, 2024

"Egypt will defend its resources"

The foreign minister stressed in his address to the Security Council that Ethiopia's illegal policies will have serious negative effects on downstream countries: Egypt and Sudan.

He added that Egypt had managed to address the negative effects of Ethiopia’s unilateral actions on the GERD over the recent years thanks to the rise in Nile River flood levels and the significant efforts made by the state in this field.

However, Abdelatty stated in his letter that Egypt is prepared to take all legal measures to defend its interests.

"Egypt continues to closely monitor developments and is prepared to take all measures and steps guaranteed under the United Nations Charter to defend its existence, the capabilities of its people, and its interests," the letter stressed.

Fifth filling underway

Renowned geology and water resources professor at Cairo University, Abbas Sharaki, stated that the fifth filling of the grand dam began on July 17 and is set to conclude in the first week of September, coinciding with the rainy season.

Sharaki pointed out that six billion cubic meters had been released to heighten the middle wall to the current 640 meters, and then refilled. As such, the reservoir is ready to hold 64 billion cubic meters, up from 41 billion cubic meters.

Extra quantities would flow above the middle wall and through the saddle dam, Sharaki said. The current water flow at the dam is 300 million cubic meters per day but will gradually rise to a daily average of 600 million cubic meters, he added.

Negotiations breakdown

Last year, Egypt announced that the revived negotiation track over the long-standing dispute caused by the dam has reached an end as the fourth and final trilateral round of talks with Ethiopia and Sudan failed to yield any results.

Egypt attributed the breakdown to Ethiopia's persistent rejection of proposed middle-ground technical or legal solutions to safeguard the interests of all three countries.

In December, the Ministry of Water Resources underlined Egypt's close monitoring of the dam's filling and operation, while reserving the right to protect its water and national security in accordance with international charters and agreements.

As Egypt heavily relies on the Nile for its water needs, it perceives the dam as a threat to its already limited water supply.

Egypt and Sudan had strived to secure a legally binding agreement with Ethiopia regarding the GERD, aiming to safeguard their water rights. However, Ethiopia has proceeded with the dam filling and operation without their consent.

Egypt, which already suffers from severe water shortages, relies on the Nile for its water supply with per capita water supply of around 550 cubic meters per year. This falls significantly below the internationally recognized threshold for water scarcity, set at 1,000 cubic meters per person.

Despite Ethiopia’s defense of the dam as beneficial for the two downstream countries besides its benefits to Addis Ababa in power generation, Egypt's Minister of Irrigation and Water Resources Hani Sewilam said last year that Addis Ababa is building the dam to also exert political dominance over the Nile River.