Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia Ethiopia’s giant Nile dam|Internet reproduction

Egypt has warned Nile Basin countries against constructing additional dams on the Nile River, with Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty saying Cairo will not allow new projects that threaten its water security.

Speaking to Al Arabiya English, Abdelatty said, “Egypt will not allow the construction of additional dams on the Nile.”

He added that Egypt has “the legitimate right to defend its interests and water security.”

Abdelatty also said Cairo would not accept any agreement governing the Nile River unless it is legally binding.

The remarks come amid renewed tensions between Egypt and Ethiopia over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, or GERD, which Ethiopia has built on the Blue Nile.

Egypt and Ethiopia have yet to reach a binding agreement on the filling and operation of the dam. Cairo has repeatedly expressed concerns that Ethiopia’s management of the project and any future dams could affect water flows to downstream countries.

Abdelatty’s latest comments mark the third similar Egyptian position in about two weeks, underscoring Cairo’s opposition to additional dam construction on the Nile.

Egypt maintains that management of the shared river must be based on legally binding arrangements that protect the interests and water security of downstream countries.

The Nile Basin comprises 11 countries—Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda—whose interests over the shared river have long been shaped by competing demands for water, development and security.