By TESFA-ALEM TEKLE
Egypt has escalated its rhetoric over Ethiopia’s Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), with Foreign Minister Badr Abdel Aaty describing the project as a “dam of ruin and destruction,” a statement that signals a significant shift in Cairo’s long-standing diplomatic language on the Nile water dispute.
The remarks were made during a meeting last week between Abdel Aaty and students and faculty members from Beni Suef University at Egypt’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs headquarters in Cairo.
According to Egyptian diplomatic sources, the comments were deliberate and reflect growing frustration within the Egyptian government over what it views as Ethiopia’s unilateral handling of the dam.
“Do not call it the Renaissance Dam,” Abdel Aaty said during the meeting. “It is a dam of ruin and destruction,” accusing Ethiopia of imposing a fait accompli without consensus or binding legal agreements governing the filling and operation of the dam.
Shift from Diplomacy to Security Framing
For more than a decade, Egypt has officially maintained a restrained tone on GERD, emphasizing negotiations, mediation, and international legal mechanisms despite repeated breakdowns in talks with Ethiopia and Sudan.
Analysts say the foreign minister’s language represents a departure from that approach and reflects what former Egyptian diplomats describe as mounting “official impatience” with Addis Ababa.
Abdel Aaty framed the dam within a broader regional security context, citing what he called a “ring of fire” surrounding Egypt — stretching from Libya and Sudan to the African Sahel, the Horn of Africa, and the Red Sea.
Egyptian officials increasingly view GERD not only as a technical or legal dispute but as part of wider regional instability and shifting power dynamics in East Africa.
Parallel Warnings from Water Ministry
The tougher tone has been echoed by Egypt’s Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation, Hani Sewilam, who recently warned that Ethiopia’s management of the dam remains “illegal” in the absence of binding agreements.
Sewilam said Egypt’s primary concern is not the dam’s existence, but the lack of transparency, enforceable safeguards, and coordinated operational rules.
He cautioned that unregulated operations could pose serious risks to downstream countries, particularly as climate change intensifies droughts and flooding in the Nile Basin. Egyptian officials have described dam safety as a “black box with unknown consequences.”
Diplomatic Push and Domestic Preparations
Egypt is also seeking to elevate the dispute internationally.
According to diplomatic sources, GERD is expected to feature prominently in a potential meeting between President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and US President Donald Trump during a possible visit to Washington later this month.
Cairo is reportedly pressing for renewed US engagement and broader international involvement after what it characterizes as years of limited external pressure on Ethiopia.
At home, Egyptian authorities say they are taking precautionary measures.
Sewilam has announced plans to enhance the operational flexibility of the Aswan High Dam to mitigate potential shocks arising from GERD’s operation.
While presented as technical adjustments, analysts say the move carries political weight, signaling preparedness for multiple scenarios.
Ethiopia’s Position
Ethiopia has consistently defended GERD as a sovereign development project essential for economic growth and electricity generation, rejecting accusations that it threatens downstream countries.
Addis Ababa maintains that the dam will not cause significant harm and has criticized Egypt for what it describes as a colonial-era approach to Nile water allocation.
Despite the rising rhetoric, Egyptian officials say Cairo continues to favor a negotiated solution.
However, observers note that Egypt is increasingly redefining the dispute as a regional security issue, broadening international engagement, and raising the political stakes in one of Africa’s most sensitive transboundary water conflicts.
(EAD)
