Ethiopia: Egypt should explain its construction of the High Dam without our approval before criticizing the Renaissance Dam

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Ethiopian Minister of Water and Energy, Habtamu Etefa, stated that his country 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 downstream countries for its water resource development projects.

The minister clarified in a social media post earlier today, Saturday, 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 Aswan project and previous arrangements related to Nile water.

In light of this historical background, Habtamu stated that the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam is subject to a newer regional framework, represented by the 2015 Declaration of Principles, which was signed by Ethiopia, Sudan, and Egypt, according to what was published by the Ethiopian News Agency.

Etefa emphasized that the historical legacy of the High Dam in Aswan, Egypt, and its establishment caused widespread social disruptions, pointing out that the project was implemented without Ethiopia's approval.

Hebtamo said: "Before criticizing Ethiopia, Egypt should explain why it built the High Dam in Aswan without Ethiopia's approval," linking the historical experience of the Aswan project to the current discussion about the Renaissance Dam.

He considered that Egypt's historical record weakens its criticisms of Ethiopia based solely on consultation with downstream countries, pointing to the "displacement of Nubian communities" associated with the High Dam project.

He stated: "Egypt's historical record does not provide it with any moral basis to criticize Ethiopia merely for consulting with downstream countries, because Ethiopia itself officially objected in the 1950s to the lack of consultation regarding the High Dam in Aswan and the previous arrangements concerning the Nile waters, while the Aswan project caused widespread displacement of Nubian communities."

Hebtamo pointed out that the Renaissance Dam, in contrast, was addressed within the framework of the 2015 Declaration of Principles, which was signed by Egypt, Ethiopia, and Sudan.