Egypt Rejects Unilateral Measures Regarding Ethiopian Dam

Spokesman for the Egyptian Foreign Ministry Ahmed Hafez said on Thursday that Egypt rejects any unilateral measures that could be taken by Ethiopia in a decade-long crisis over its dam built on the Blue Nile, including Addis Ababa's plans to fill the dam during the flood season this summer.

Hafez’s comments came in response to the statements of the Ethiopian Foreign Ministry’s spokesman regarding his country's intention to proceed with the second filling of the dam even if the three countries did not reach an agreement in this regard.

"The statements of the Ethiopian spokesman reveal Ethiopia's bad intentions, its endeavor to thwart the ongoing efforts by international and African mediators to solve the dam crisis, and its desire to impose a fait accompli on the downstream countries, which Egypt will not accept," Hafez said.

He added that Egypt acted patiently, wisely, negotiating over a decade with good faith in order to reach a fair and legally binding agreement in a way that serves the common interests of the three countries, including Egypt's water rights.

"The Ethiopian side pursued a policy of stalling that led to the failure of all negotiation tracks during the past years," he said.

Ethiopia's continued filling of the dam unilaterally is an irresponsible act, which blatantly contradicts the rules of the Agreement of Principles signed by the three countries in March 2015 and will seriously threaten the downstream countries, especially if it coincides with droughts.

The spokesman added that Egypt supports Sudan in this crisis that threatens the common interests of the two countries, especially since the unilateral filling of the dam may harm the Sudanese dams and facilities located near the Ethiopian dam on the Blue Nile.

He pointed out that "the Egyptian state is committed to preserving its water rights and interests and preventing any potential harm to the existence and well-being of the Egyptian people."

He stressed that the state has taken precautionary measures to deal with the second filling of the dam and reduce its potential effects in order to secure Egypt's water needs during this period.

He added that the measures come as the state continues to closely monitor and follow up the Ethiopian measures to ensure that it does not harm Egypt's water rights and does not prejudice its rights based on the law, international agreements and treaties.