Egypt, Sudan Reject Unilateral Moves in Eastern Nile Basin, Warn of Threats from Ethiopia’s Dam

 Egypt and Sudan reaffirmed their unified stance on protecting their water interests, declaring their categorical rejection of any unilateral actions in the Eastern Nile Basin that could jeopardize their water security.

In a joint statement issued Wednesday following a meeting of the 2+2 Consultative Mechanism in Cairo, the two countries emphasized that the water security of Egypt and Sudan is “one and indivisible.” They pledged to work together to safeguard their full rights and uses of the Nile waters.

The 2+2 Consultative Mechanism brings together the foreign ministers and ministers of water resources and irrigation from both nations. It serves as a coordination platform to align positions on political and water-related issues, particularly the contentious dispute over Ethiopia’s Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).

Both Cairo and Khartoum reiterated that the GERD “contravenes international law” and warned of its “grave consequences” for downstream states. They highlighted concerns over Ethiopia’s unilateral filling and operation of the dam, which they said threatens regional stability and poses serious risks related to dam safety, unregulated water releases, and drought management.

The two sides also urged Ethiopia to revise its current approach in the Eastern Nile Basin to restore cooperation among riparian states. They stressed that the GERD dispute remains strictly a trilateral matter between Egypt, Sudan, and Ethiopia, rejecting attempts to draw other Nile Basin countries into the conflict.

Ethiopia began construction of the multi-billion-dollar GERD in 2011, describing it as a crucial national project to generate electricity and boost development. Egypt, however, views the massive hydroelectric dam as a direct threat to its historical share of Nile waters, on which the country depends for more than 90 percent of its freshwater needs.