Egypt warns UN over Ethiopia's $5 billion dam inauguration

Wednesday 10 September 2025 - 14:50

By: Dakir Madiha

Egypt warns UN over Ethiopia's $5 billion dam inauguration

Egypt has formally alerted the United Nations Security Council regarding Ethiopia’s unilateral operation of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), describing the inauguration of Africa’s largest hydropower project as a violation of international law that jeopardizes Egypt’s water security.

The letter, sent by Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty to the council’s president, followed Ethiopia’s official launch of the $5 billion GERD on the Blue Nile. The project, which has taken 14 years to complete, has faced strong opposition from downstream nations Egypt and Sudan.

Diplomatic tensions rise over water rights

Egypt’s letter rejected any legitimacy surrounding the GERD project, with Abdelatty stating that Ethiopia’s actions represent “a new violation adding to a long list of breaches of international law, including the Security Council’s presidential statement on September 15, 2021.” The Foreign Ministry emphasized that any perception of Egypt ignoring its existential interests tied to the Nile is “pure illusion.”

The Egyptian government affirmed its right to take all measures permitted under international law and the UN Charter to safeguard its people’s vital interests. It reiterated that Ethiopia cannot unilaterally impose control over shared water resources.

GERD inauguration proceeds without regional consensus

Ethiopia celebrated the dam’s inauguration on Tuesday, with Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed calling it a “shared opportunity” for the region. Leaders from Kenya, Somalia, Djibouti, and South Sudan attended the event, but Egyptian and Sudanese representatives were notably absent.

“To our brothers in Sudan and Egypt: Ethiopia built this dam to foster prosperity, provide electricity to the region, and transform the narrative surrounding Black people,” Abiy stated during the ceremony. “It is certainly not intended to harm our brothers.”

The GERD is designed to produce over 5,150 megawatts of electricity, more than doubling Ethiopia’s current energy output. The project was largely funded by Ethiopians through government bonds and public contributions.

Heightened concerns over water security

Egypt, which relies on the Nile for 97% of its fresh water, continues to voice alarm over the dam’s potential impact. The country receives an annual allocation of 55.5 billion cubic meters of water under the 1959 Nile Waters Agreement but faces severe water scarcity, with only 660 cubic meters available per capita annually—well below the international threshold of 1,000 cubic meters.

Ethiopia completed filling the dam’s reservoir in five stages between 2020 and 2024, without reaching a binding agreement with downstream nations. Egypt fears that GERD operations could reduce Nile water flow by up to 25%, endangering millions of citizens dependent on the river for survival.

Despite over a decade of negotiations mediated by international organizations, including the African Union, the United States, and the World Bank, no legally binding agreement has been reached. The African Union’s most recent mediation attempt collapsed in April 2021, leaving the dispute unresolved and tensions escalating.