Ethiopia: Egypt Built the High Dam Without Our Approval, So Why Object to the Renaissance Dam?

- Ethiopian Minister of Water and Energy, Habtamu Itefa, spoke on Saturday about the High Dam built by Egypt on the Nile River in Aswan, southern Egypt, claiming that the project was implemented "without Ethiopia's approval," unlike the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam which was built based on the Declaration of Principles agreement signed by Egypt, Sudan, and Ethiopia, according to the Ethiopian official news agency "ENA." The minister claimed that the historical legacy of the High Dam and its construction "caused widespread social disturbances."

The minister described the "High Dam in Aswan as one of the most impactful giant dam projects in Africa." Habtamu stated: "Ethiopia has a sovereign right to develop and utilize its water resources in the Nile River based on the principle of equitable and reasonable use," rejecting calls for Ethiopia to obtain prior approval from the downstream countries for its water resource development projects, according to what was reported by the agency "ENA."

The Ethiopian Minister of Water claimed in his statements that "Ethiopia has repeatedly called for consultations regarding Nile water projects, revealing that historical records from the 1950s documented Ethiopian objections to the lack of broader consultations regarding the High Dam project in Aswan and previous arrangements related to Nile waters," he said. Habtamu added that "the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam is subject to a newer regional framework, represented by the Declaration of Principles of 2015, which was signed by Ethiopia, Sudan, and Egypt," according to the Ethiopian official news agency.

Habtamu said: "Before criticizing Ethiopia, Egypt should explain why it built the High Dam in Aswan without Ethiopia's approval." The minister added that "Egypt's historical record does not provide it with any moral basis to criticize Ethiopia for merely consulting with the downstream countries, as Ethiopia itself officially objected in the 1950s to the lack of consultation regarding the High Dam in Aswan and previous arrangements related to Nile waters," according to his claims.

An Egyptian official source responded to the recent statements attributed to the Ethiopian Minister of Water and Energy, in which he spoke about building additional dams on the Nile River and "controlling" water flows to the downstream countries, Egypt and Sudan. The source stated that these statements "represent a continuation of the Ethiopian unilateral approach in a blatant violation of international law, and reflect Addis Ababa's ongoing illusions of the possibility of imposing dominance over a shared international river and subjecting it to the will of one state," according to what was reported by the Egyptian government website "Ahram Gate."

Egypt has strongly opposed the construction of the dam from the beginning, arguing that it violates water treaties dating back to the British colonial era and poses an existential threat, as Egypt, with a population of about 108 million people, relies on the Nile River for about 90% of its fresh water. Egypt fears that the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam will reduce its water supply during periods of drought and lead to the construction of other dams upstream.

Sudan has joined Egypt's calls for legally binding agreements regarding the filling and operation of the dam, but it may also benefit from improved flood management and access to cheap energy. Egypt's position was supported by former U.S. President Donald Trump during his first and second terms.

Trump recently stated that "the situation is serious, and Cairo may end up blowing up that dam," but his administration failed to reach an agreement on the project, as years of negotiations did not yield any agreement. Ethiopia began construction of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam on the Blue Nile in April 2011, before officially inaugurating it on September 9, 2025, after more than 14 years of construction.

During this period, the three countries engaged in marathon negotiations without reaching an agreement on the operation of the dam. Relations between Ethiopia, Egypt, and Sudan have been strained due to the fears of the downstream countries (Egypt and Sudan) regarding a threat to their historical shares of Nile water because of the dam.

Egypt and Sudan requested a binding agreement from Ethiopia regarding its operational processes, rejecting any infringement on the "water rights" of the downstream countries, which Addis Ababa opposed.