ADDIS ABABA, 17 Oct. - (ANA)- Ethiopia has accused Egypt of adopting "hostile rhetoric" while escalating tensions over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) and the sharing of Nile River waters, saying Cairo continues to act with an "old colonial mentality".

 

The accusation came in a statement from Ethiopia’s Ministry of Irrigation and Water Resources on Monday, responding to remarks made by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi last week regarding Cairo’s water security and the future of the Nile.

 

The ministry said Egypt’s stance "reflects an arrogant and unrealistic position" and that Cairo was pursuing "a policy of misinformation" by using regional and international forums to repeat "false historical claims" about its water rights.

 

"Cairo remains attached to an old colonial mentality that seeks to impose dominance on the Nile Basin states and deprive them of their legitimate right to development," the Ethiopian ministry said.

 

Egypt however fears that the Ethiopian dam could deprive it of life-giving water, devastating its agriculture and exposing its population to famine and drought. It has recently claimed that the Ethiopian dam has caused floods in Egypt.

 

The Ethiopian statement added that Egypt continues to exploit symbolic initiatives - such as digging solar-powered wells or constructing small rainwater harvesting projects in African countries - to promote the idea of solidarity, while "failing to respect the principle of equitable and reasonable use" of shared water resources.

 

The statement added that the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, inaugurated in September 2025, is a strategic national project intended to meet the country’s energy and sustainable development needs.

 

Addis Ababa said it would not yield to "political pressure or military threats", insisting that water rights in the Nile Basin must be based on fairness and cooperation, not on "colonial-era agreements drafted by foreign powers".

 

The statement accused Egypt of pursuing a “policy based on weakening others rather than cooperating with them,” claiming Cairo had shown “no real intention” to reach a fair settlement during negotiations over the GERD or the broader Nile Basin Cooperative Framework Agreement.

 

It also accused Egypt of "illegal and reckless practices", including diverting water outside the basin without consultation - actions Ethiopia described as "a flagrant violation of international law".

 

Ethiopia’s statement followed President Sisi’s renewed warnings that the Nile remains a "matter of life and death" for Egypt, amid concerns that GERD operations could threaten downstream water flow.

 

In recent weeks, Egypt has accused Ethiopia of acting unilaterally in managing dam operations and releasing water without coordination, while Ethiopia has maintained that the dam’s filling and discharges comply with international standards.

 

Addis Ababa’s invocation of a "colonial mentality" echoes long-standing Ethiopian criticism of Nile water treaties signed in 1929 and 1959, which allocated the vast majority of the river’s flow to Egypt and Sudan and excluded upstream states.

 

Ethiopia argues that these agreements were imposed under British colonial influence and do not reflect modern realities or the equal rights of Nile Basin countries.

 

"The solution to the Nile issue cannot be achieved through the language of threats but through direct dialogue among basin countries," the Ethiopian ministry said, adding that "water security in the region does not mean monopolisation by one state, but equitable and fair use for all".

 

The statement concluded that Ethiopia "will continue to pursue diplomacy and friendly relations with Egypt", but "will not hesitate to defend its sovereignty and its inalienable right to benefit from its natural resources".   - (ANA) - 

 

AB/ANA/17 October 2025 - - -