Egypt and Ethiopia have been at odds for years over the construction of a hydroelectric dam on the Blue Nile
Egypt has filed a complaint with the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), accusing Ethiopia of threatening regional stability with its alleged unilateral actions regarding the controversial Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) project on the Nile river.
According to Cairo’s foreign ministry, the move on Sunday came in response to a recent statement by Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed announcing the fifth phase of filling the GERD without consulting downstream states, particularly Egypt.
The dam is located on the Blue Nile River, which is the source of 97% of Egypt’s water. The infrastructure, which has been under construction since 2011, has a planned capacity of 5.15 gigawatts, which will make it the largest hydroelectric power plant in Africa once completed. However, it has been at the center of a dispute over its impact on downstream flows into Egypt and Sudan, both of which have expressed concern about the project.
On August 25, Ahmed posted photos on X (formerly Twitter) showing the opening of the dam’s spillways in Ethiopia’s Guba district, which he said released an additional 2,800 cubic meters of water per second.
“This carefully regulated release will significantly enhance agricultural productivity, boost power generation, and improve resource utilization throughout the region,” the Ethiopian prime minister stated.
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Egypt responded by calling the move “unacceptable” and a “continuation of Ethiopia’s provocative approach toward its neighbors.” It also violates international law, according to the foreign ministry, including the GERD Declaration of Principles signed in March 2015 by Addis Ababa, Cairo, and Khartoum, as well as the Security Council’s Presidential Statement of September 2021.
