Ethiopia accuses Egypt of 'escalating' Nile water dispute

Ethiopia has accused Egypt of adopting an increasingly "escalatory" and "anti-dialogue" approach in the long-running dispute over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) and Nile water use, in a statement issued by Addis Ababa’s foreign ministry on Wednesday.

The Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said repeated remarks by Egyptian officials, which it claimed contained direct and indirect threats, show Cairo’s inability to adapt to the "realities of the 21st century".

The ministry argued that decision-making circles in Egypt remain attached to a "colonial-era mentality" that treats the Nile River as private property based on historical agreements "that do not reflect current reality".

It added that Cairo’s invocation of what it calls "historical rights" is, in Ethiopia’s view, a pretext to justify "an unfair monopoly over the basin’s waters".

The ministry also accused Egypt of orchestrating campaigns aimed at destabilising the Horn of Africa, with a particular focus on Ethiopia, "to create dependent and weakened states that serve its regional policies".

Egypt has long seen Ethiopia's GERD as a potential threat which could deprive its people of life-giving Nile water. 

For thousands of years, Egypt has been almost entirely dependent on the Nile for its water and agricultural needs and successive Egyptian governments have sought to stop any attempt by upstream countries to take control of the Nile.

In 2015, however Egypt and Ethiopia, along with Sudan, signed a Declaration of Principles aimed at resolving their dispute over the GERD, but disagreements have continued, with Egypt saying it cannot agree to a reduction in the amount of Nile water reaching it.

Addis Ababa has for its part reaffirmed its right to use the waters of the Blue Nile, which contributes about 86 percent of the Nile’s total flow. It claims its approach is grounded in internationally recognised principles of "equitable and reasonable use", and does not require "permission from any party".

The ministry further accused Egypt of moving beyond "pretending to negotiate" and now openly rejecting dialogue while intensifying what it called hostile rhetoric. 

Ethiopia concluded by reiterating that it will continue using its water resources to meet the needs of its population while remaining open to "fair solutions" that protect the interests of all Nile Basin states.