Ethiopia’s unilateral actions on Nile inconsistent with int’l law, cooperation spirit: Egypt, Sudan

CAIRO – 7 August 2025: Egypt and Sudan reaffirmed their rejection of Ethiopia’s unilateral actions on the Blue Nile in a joint statement on Thursday, a month ahead of Ethiopia’s scheduled inauguration of the highly-controversial Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).

The statement, which followed a meeting between the Egyptian and Sudanese prime ministers, described Ethiopia’s unilateral approach as inconsistent with international law and with the spirit of cooperation that should govern the use of the Nile River—a vital lifeline for all basin countries.

Ethiopia is preparing to officially inaugurate its 74 billion cubic meter dam on the Blue Nule despite longstanding concerns by Egypt and Sudan, the downstream countries. GERD is expected to generate up to over 5,000 MW of electricity, constituting more than double Ethiopia’s current output.

Egypt has repeatedly stressed that it is not against development in Ethiopia but has called for Addis Ababa signs a written regulatory framework for governing the dam during the times of prolonged drought—a demand that Ethiopia has evaded.

Egypt perceives the filling and operation of the dam with the absence of a clear legally-binding agreement as an “existential threat,” while Sudan has also warned that millions of lives will be at “great risk” in this scenario.

Meanwhile, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed insists that the dam “is not a threat” for the downstream countries, but rather a “shared opportunity” and “a symbol of regional cooperation and mutual benefit.”

Late in July, Egypt stressed that it will employ all measures under international law to protect its water security in light of Ethiopia’s unilateral measures regarding the dam.

In today’s statement, Egypt and Sudan confirmed their joint coordination through the Permanent Joint Technical Commission for Nile Waters (PJTC), which is tasked with developing unified positions on Nile-related matters in accordance with the 1959 Nile Waters Agreement between Egypt and Sudan.

The two countries agreed on the importance of allowing the Nile Basin Initiative’s consultative mechanism sufficient space to resolve disputes and enhance cooperation among basin states, thereby ensuring the sustainability of the Nile and safeguarding the water interests of both downstream nations.