Egypt Warns GERD Threatens Its Existence as Tensions Flare Over Nile River Dispute

CAIRO - Egypt has yet again expressed displeasure over the decision by Ethiopia to construct the Grand Renaissance Dam (GERD) along the Nile River, maintaining that the project hurts the downstream flow of the river, thus impacting negatively on many lives.

Mustafa Madbouly, the Egyptian Prime Minister, described the River as “a matter of existence, not subject to compromise,” emphasizing Egypt’s heavy reliance on the transboundary river amid renewed tensions with Ethiopia.

According to him, the Nile Basin receives over 1,660 billion cubic meters of rainfall annually, only about 84 billion cubic meters—roughly five percent—reach Egypt and Sudan, Addis Standard reports.

Madbouly said the countries along the Nile River are having challenges over the shared resources, noting that this is affecting security and development within the country.

“Egypt is a clear example of these challenges, facing a complex water system with limited resources, relying more than 98% on a transboundary river alongside continuous population growth and a decline in per capita water share below the global scarcity threshold,” he said, according to a Cabinet statement.

He accused Ethiopia of promoting misconceptions about the river’s ownership and sources to justify individual policies in managing a shared resource.

“Despite this abundance, one party continues to repeat a unilateral narrative and promote misconceptions about the ownership and sources of the Nile to justify individual policies in managing a shared resource in violation of international law and the principles of transparency and coordination,” he said.

“The river is not granted by anyone — it is an integrated ecological and hydrological system shared by all basin countries with balanced rights and obligations,” Madbouly said while dismissing claims that certain countries contribute to the Nile River waters.

Ethiopia launched the Nile River dam last month, but pressure is mounting across the Nile Basin countries over the management of GERD — particularly on refilling the dam. Ethiopia maintains that no country should dictate its use of the Nile River waters.

GAROWE ONLINE