Egypt complains to UN after Ethiopia inaugurates dam on Nile

On September 8, Egypt told the UN Security Council that it will not compromise its “existential interests” in the Nile, escalating a long-running dispute after Ethiopia officially inaugurated its massive Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).

According to Asharq Al-Awsat, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed presided over the opening ceremony, calling the multibillion-dollar project “a source of inspiration” and stating that Addis Ababa “has prevailed over those who threatened it while disregarding international law.”

The Ethiopian government asserted that it “does not use the river to the detriment of others,” rejecting accusations from Cairo and Khartoum that the dam could threaten their historic share of Nile waters.

Egypt’s Foreign Ministry criticized the ceremony, calling it an attempt to lend the project “a false appearance of legitimacy” and describing it as a unilateral move that violates international law and the UN Security Council’s 2021 statement urging the three countries to reach a binding agreement on the filling and operation of the dam.

“Egypt will not allow Ethiopia to unilaterally take control over the management of the river,” the ministry said, adding that it reserves the right to take “all measures guaranteed by international law and the UN Charter to protect the existential interests of its people.”

By Khagan Isayev