Egypt firmly rejects Ethiopia unilateral GERD measures as 'violation of international law' - Foreign Affairs
Minister Sewilam described the Ethiopian measures as a clear violation of international law, particularly the rules related to the fair and equitable use of international waterways and the prohibition of causing harm to neighbouring countries.
Sewilam made his remarks during a meeting on Thursday with several ambassadors assigned to head Egyptian diplomatic missions abroad, in the presence of Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty.
During the meeting, the minister noted that the Ethiopian side has persistently promoted the idea of finalizing the dam, despite its illegality and contravention of international law.
"Ethiopia took these measures without a binding agreement with the downstream countries and despite substantial concerns expressed by Egypt and Sudan," Sewilam said.
He condemned these measures as attempts to impose water dominance instead of adopting the principles of partnership and cooperation.
He added that Ethiopia's repeated calls to resume negotiations are merely formal attempts to preserve its international image as a party willing to negotiate.
However, he stressed that the failure to reach a binding legal agreement for over thirteen years indicates Ethiopia's lack of political will and seriousness, as well as insincerity, regarding these calls.
He affirmed that Ethiopia's evasive actions, backtracking, and imposing facts on the ground contradict its declared willingness to negotiate, a position the international community must recognize.
On the other hand, Sewilam highlighted Egypt's sincere political commitment to reaching a legally binding agreement that achieves common interests and prevents harm to downstream countries.
However, the Ethiopian side's lack of political will has always hindered these efforts, he asserted.
Sewilam also reiterated Egypt's keenness to enhance cooperation with African countries, especially Nile Basin states, by supporting development and water projects.
In this respect, he highlighted the financing mechanism Egypt has launched, including dedicated funds for studying and implementing development and infrastructure projects in the Southern Nile Basin countries.
Furthermore, Sewilam reviewed the state's efforts to bridge the gap between water resources and needs by implementing major projects for treating agricultural drainage water (New Delta, Bahr El-Baqar, El-Mohassema), developing irrigation systems, water management, and other measures aimed at fulfilling water needs and addressing climate change challenges.
He also highlighted Egypt's support for African countries through various projects, including waterway cleaning, rainwater harvesting dams, solar wells, rainfall forecasting centres, and water quality monitoring.
Egypt also provided them with training and scholarships at Egyptian universities, as well as through the African Water and Climate Adaptation Centre and the Hydraulics Research Institute.
"Egypt possesses distinguished water management expertise, which it is keen to share with African countries, especially Nile Basin states," Sewilam noted.
The total rainfall in the Nile Basin amounts to approximately 1,600 billion cubic metres annually, and the total rainfall in Nile Basin countries, within the Nile Basin or in other river basins within these countries, reaches about 7,000 billion cubic metres per year. However, Egypt's water share is only 55.5 billion cubic metres.
For his part, Abdelatty expressed his appreciation for the ongoing cooperation between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation.
Both ministries have overlapping responsibilities regarding the water file, which is linked to national security. They also collaborate with international partners to address water scarcity, enhance capacity building, and facilitate the transfer of technology.
Days ago, Abdelatty described water security as Egypt's sole existential threat, stressing that the country's historical Nile water rights are non-negotiable.
Between 2020 and 2024, Ethiopia unilaterally completed the dam's five-stage filling and began operating two turbines, without an agreement with its downstream nations, Egypt and Sudan.
In December 2023, Cairo announced the end of negotiations, citing Ethiopia's refusal to engage in proposed legal or technical solutions.
Follow us on:
Short link:
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
See - Sada Elbalad
3 hours ago
- See - Sada Elbalad
Egypt Secures Historic Leadership Role at FAO
Taarek Refaat In a landmark moment for Egypt's diplomatic engagement on the international stage, the country has, for the first time in the history of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), been elected to lead its Executive Council. Egypt's Ambassador to Italy and Permanent Representative to UN agencies in Rome, Ambassador Bassam Rady, announced that Mena Rizk, Deputy Permanent Representative of Egypt to the FAO, was elected Chair of the Executive Council for a four-year term during the FAO's General Conference held in Rome. The decision was made by unanimous consensus, following a highly competitive election involving five candidates from across all major FAO regional groups—including Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, and South America. Rizk's election marks a historic first: he is the first Egyptian—and the youngest ever—elected to the FAO Executive Council Chairmanship since the organization's establishment in 1945. At just 38 years old, his appointment also reflects a strategic shift in Egypt's foreign policy approach toward empowering younger generations in international forums. 'This success is not just personal or national—it is a reflection of Egypt's vision under President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi to invest in and prepare young professionals for global leadership,' Ambassador Rady said. 'Rizk's candidacy was carefully prepared by the Egyptian Embassy in Rome and aligns with the broader national goal of building highly qualified diplomatic cadres capable of representing Egypt on the global stage.' The election result is widely seen as a testament to Egypt's growing international credibility in fields such as agriculture, water, and food security—sectors that have become increasingly urgent on the global agenda. Ambassador Rady noted that the embassy's diplomatic efforts over the past months were instrumental in garnering support for Egypt's bid, reinforcing the country's qualifications to guide the FAO Council during a period of mounting international concern over food systems and sustainability. The FAO's Executive Council serves as the organization's main governing body, responsible for setting strategic direction and policy oversight. It includes only a quarter of the FAO's 194 member states, elected for three-year terms. Egypt not only retains its elected membership but now leads the council itself, in addition to chairing the organization's Finance Committee. Egypt's recent presence in the FAO has been marked by a string of significant achievements. The Egyptian Central Auditing Organization has been appointed as the FAO's official financial and legal auditor, and the Egyptian Food Bank was awarded the organization's annual honorary prize for its contributions to combating hunger. Further cementing Egypt's growing influence within the FAO, the organization is also preparing to hold its annual conference for regional and country offices in Egypt's New Administrative Capital later this year—a recognition of Egypt's emerging status as a regional hub for agricultural development and food policy. 'These successes reflect Egypt's rising stature in global development forums and the credibility it has built within international organizations,' Ambassador Rady stated. 'They also highlight the increasing importance of Egyptian leadership in shaping the future of food security and sustainable agriculture.' The election of Mena Rizk is being hailed not only as a diplomatic victory for Egypt but also as a sign of generational change and renewed energy within the FAO—an institution at the heart of the global response to hunger, agricultural sustainability, and climate-resilient food systems. read more CBE: Deposits in Local Currency Hit EGP 5.25 Trillion Morocco Plans to Spend $1 Billion to Mitigate Drought Effect Gov't Approves Final Version of State Ownership Policy Document Egypt's Economy Expected to Grow 5% by the end of 2022/23- Minister Qatar Agrees to Supply Germany with LNG for 15 Years Business Oil Prices Descend amid Anticipation of Additional US Strategic Petroleum Reserves Business Suez Canal Records $704 Million, Historically Highest Monthly Revenue Business Egypt's Stock Exchange Earns EGP 4.9 Billion on Tuesday Business Wheat delivery season commences on April 15 News Israeli-Linked Hadassah Clinic in Moscow Treats Wounded Iranian IRGC Fighters News China Launches Largest Ever Aircraft Carrier Sports Former Al Zamalek Player Ibrahim Shika Passes away after Long Battle with Cancer Videos & Features Tragedy Overshadows MC Alger Championship Celebration: One Fan Dead, 11 Injured After Stadium Fall Lifestyle Get to Know 2025 Eid Al Adha Prayer Times in Egypt Business Fear & Greed Index Plummets to Lowest Level Ever Recorded amid Global Trade War News Flights suspended at Port Sudan Airport after Drone Attacks News "Tensions Escalate: Iran Probes Allegations of Indian Tech Collaboration with Israeli Intelligence" Videos & Features Video: Trending Lifestyle TikToker Valeria Márquez Shot Dead during Live Stream Technology 50-Year Soviet Spacecraft 'Kosmos 482' Crashes into Indian Ocean
Al-Ahram Weekly
3 hours ago
- Al-Ahram Weekly
Israeli-Iranian conflict threatens Africa - Opinion
The impact of this escalation extended beyond the Middle East, reaching other regions, notably Africa, which quickly felt its repercussions on the economic, security, and geopolitical levels. The strikes disrupted global markets and triggered a spike in oil prices, which directly affected the Sub-Saharan African economies. Countries like Ghana and South Africa experienced currency fluctuations and surging fuel prices, intensifying inflationary pressures. These nations, heavily reliant on energy imports and vulnerable supply routes such as through the Red Sea and the Strait of Hormuz, found themselves exposed to the ripple effects of the crisis. Tensions escalated in the Red Sea due to Iranian-backed Houthi attacks on commercial vessels, raising concerns among coastal African states about increased militarisation. Meanwhile, Africa's responses to the crisis were divided, revealing deep splits in foreign policy alignments. On the geopolitical front, the escalation intensified global competition for influence in Africa, making the continent more vulnerable than ever to the spillover of transnational conflicts and instability in the global order. Africa is experiencing rapidly escalating economic repercussions as a result of the ongoing escalation between Israel and Iran. It has triggered severe shocks in already fragile economies, and the global oil price surge, exceeding seven per cent, has pushed energy-importing African nations into renewed inflationary crises, particularly amid weak local currencies and waning market confidence. In Ghana, inflation fears have returned with force as the cost of fuel imports rises. Meanwhile, South Africa witnessed a sharp depreciation of the rand and a swift drop in the Johannesburg Stock Exchange, exposing its financial fragility and dependency on global markets. Capital flight to safe havens such as gold and US bonds has further strained emerging African economies. With the ongoing tensions, African governments appear to have limited tools to absorb external shocks, especially as transport and basic goods prices climb, threatening societal stability already weakened by past crises such as the Covid-19 pandemic and the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The military escalation in the Gulf has further disrupted global oil markets, pushing crude prices close to $78 per barrel and exacerbating energy crises in African oil-importing countries. These nations now face mounting challenges to balance public budgets and protect people's purchasing power, amid widening current account deficits and slowing growth. The persistence of tensions also threatens food security and supply chains, especially in East Africa and the Sahel, due to the disruption of maritime navigation in the Red Sea caused by Houthi attacks. Countries like Sudan, Ethiopia, and Somalia may struggle to import essential fuel and food supplies as insurance and shipping costs soar, potentially leading to a severe logistical crisis. The deeper issue lies in the accumulation of crises, which continue to overwhelm African economies without providing sufficient recovery time. Although Africa plays no direct role in these conflicts, it disproportionately bears the cost at a time when the continent urgently needs calm and recovery. The Iranian-Israeli escalation has extended to the Red Sea, one of the world's most important strategic maritime corridors, threatening its stability as a vital artery for the flow of food and energy to Africa. In Somalia, fears are growing over the emergence of covert alliances between the Houthis and Al-Shabaab, an Al-Qaeda-affiliated group. This deepens security threats and turns the Somali coastline into an open arena for proxy confrontations between regional powers. Meanwhile, Somaliland also finds itself at a difficult crossroads, facing increasing pressure from regional actors such as Ethiopia, the UAE, and Russia competing for control over its ports. In Djibouti, the challenge is even more complex due to the presence of military bases belonging to rival global powers, including the United States, France, and China. In Sudan, the consequences are multifaceted and severe. A potential decline in Iranian support for the Sudanese Army especially in the domain of drones may shift the balance of power in favour of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). At the same time, increasing Sudanese accusations of Israeli support for rebel groups could internationalise the conflict through local proxies. The Iranian-Israeli escalation has sparked notable reactions from the African countries, which have expressed diverse positions reflecting their strategic interests and perspectives. Egypt and Tunisia strongly condemned the Israeli attacks on Iran, viewing them as a serious threat to regional security and a violation of international legitimacy. South Africa called for de-escalation and the activation of UN mechanisms, while Nigeria adopted a balanced stance, urging restraint and the prioritisation of dialogue. Kenya criticised the UN Security Council's failure to prevent the crisis and demanded structural reform. Ghana and Namibia voiced concerns over the economic fallout, particularly the rising energy prices and their impact on Africa's fragile economies. The preoccupation of the major powers with the Middle East crisis may also lead to a decline in international support for African security programmes, leaving the continent facing mounting challenges in combating terrorism and insurgencies. As a result, Africa risks becoming a battleground for external conflicts or bearing their cost without having any real influence over them. The writer is a researcher in African affairs. * A version of this article appears in print in the 3 July, 2025 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
CairoScene
5 hours ago
- CairoScene
Egypt Becomes First Arab Nation to Chair FAO Council
Egypt becomes the first Arab country to hold the Independent Chairperson position at the UN Food and Agriculture Organization Council. Jul 04, 2025 Egyptian diplomat Mina Rizk has been elected as the Independent Chairperson of the Council of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the first Arab official to assume the post since the agency was founded in 1945. The election took place during the FAO's 44th session in Rome, where Egypt also secured a seat on the General Committee of the FAO Conference. The role, held for a renewable one-year term, includes guiding consensus on strategic policies, programme priorities, and budgetary decisions within the Council. According to the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Rizk's election reflects Egypt's expanding role in multilateral governance related to agriculture, sustainability, and food systems. It aligns with the country's broader agenda of increasing influence within global development institutions. The FAO Council, comprising 49 regional member countries, acts as the organisation's executive arm. As Independent Chairperson, Rizk will oversee high-level discussions on critical issues such as climate resilience, food insecurity, and sustainable agricultural development.
