Ethiopia’s water and energy minister has defended Addis Ababa’s right to develop its share of the Nile and challenged Egypt over the construction of the Aswan High Dam, adding fresh tension to the long-running dispute over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).
Habtamu Itefa said in a social media post on Saturday that Ethiopia has a sovereign right to develop and use its Nile water resources under what he described as the principle of “equitable and reasonable utilization,” rejecting demands that Addis Ababa obtain prior approval from downstream states before undertaking water projects.
The minister pointed to the construction of Egypt’s Aswan High Dam, arguing that Ethiopia had not consented to the project and had raised objections during the 1950s over what Addis Ababa viewed as a lack of consultation on Nile water arrangements.
“Before criticizing Ethiopia, Egypt should explain why it built the Aswan High Dam without Ethiopia’s consent,” Itefa said, according to Ethiopian and regional reports.
He also highlighted the social impact of the Aswan project, saying more than 100,000 Nubians were displaced and that communities lost homes, livelihoods and ancestral lands. The Ethiopian government argues that the history of the Aswan project should form part of the wider debate over how Nile Basin states use the river’s resources.
Itefa contrasted that history with the GERD, saying the Ethiopian project has been addressed within the framework of the 2015 Declaration of Principles signed by Ethiopia, Egypt and Sudan.
The declaration established a set of principles governing cooperation over the dam, but the three countries have remained divided for years over issues including its operation, drought management and the form of any binding agreement.
Egypt maintains that major projects affecting the Nile must take downstream water security into account and has repeatedly accused Ethiopia of acting unilaterally. Ethiopia rejects that position, saying it is entitled to make equitable use of the river and does not require Egyptian approval for development projects.
An Egyptian irrigation ministry source later dismissed Itefa’s remarks in comments reported by Ahram Online and said the Ethiopian minister had deleted the Facebook post containing the Aswan comments. The Egyptian source accused Addis Ababa of attempting to divert attention from the dispute over GERD and reiterated Cairo’s objections to unilateral Ethiopian action.
The latest exchange comes amid renewed friction between Cairo and Addis Ababa over the Nile. Itefa has also recently said Ethiopia does not need permission from other countries to develop its water resources and has raised the possibility of further water projects in the future.
