Egypt says will respond to any harm from Nile dam in Ethiopia

CAIRO – 25 December 2025: Egypt would take action under international law in response to any harm caused by the Ethiopian dam built on the Nile River, Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty stressed on Thursday.

Abdelatty told a meeting of the Senate’s human rights committee that Egypt remains committed to pursuing all available legal and international channels to safeguard its water interests.

The foreign minister stated that any damage to Egypt resulting from the dam project would be met with a response under international law, in line with the country’s right to self-defense.

His remarks come while Egypt has been objecting to Ethiopia’s unilateral measures on its Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), a mega dam capable of holding up to 74 billion cubic meters of water.

Egypt, which relies on the Nile for 98% of its renewable water resources, has warned that it will not accept any infringement on, or relinquishment of, a single drop of its Nile water share.

Egypt and Sudan, two downstream countries of the Nile, have raised concerns that unilateral and uncoordinated filling and operation of GERD could affect their water security and interests, particularly during periods of drought or flooding.

The two downstream countries have long affirmed that they are not against development in Ethiopia but called for a binding legal agreement governing the operation and filling of the dam to secure their water interests.

However, the upstream country has persistently rejected this demand, bringing the curtain down on more than a decade of talks.

During the meeting today, Abdelatty stated that the ongoing measures on GERD represents a unilateral move rather than a genuine renaissance effort.

The Ethiopian dam built over the Blue Nile was officially inaugurated in September despite Egypt and Sudan concerns, causing the dispute between the three countries to soar.

In October, Egypt accused Ethiopia of creating a “man-made flood” that put the lives and resources of populations in the two downstream countries at risk, citing “hasty and uncoordinated filling” of the recently inaugurated dam.

President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi told African officials this week that Egypt has no dispute with Ethiopia. However, its sole demand is that its rights to Nile water rights are not affected and that a legally binding agreement is reached regarding the dam.