Speaking on the sidelines of the Munich Summit in Al Ula on Wednesday, Abdelatty said the failure to coordinate the operation of Ethiopia's controversial Nile dam project has led to "horrific floods" in Sudan. He accused Ethiopia of "flagrantly violating international law."
"The Nile is an international river governed by international conventions—not a local river under the sovereignty of one state," he told Saudi news channel Al Arabiya Al Hadath.
The minister warned that the most severe consequences could occur during a prolonged drought, which he said could last up to five years. In such a case, he said, the impact on both Egypt and Sudan would be "catastrophic".
Abdelatty also said talks over the dam's operation had reached a deadlock.
His comments came a day after Sudan's irrigation ministry also attributed the recent rise in White Nile water levels – which flooded several riverside villages in South Khartoum – to heavy rainfall in Ethiopia and water releases from the GERD.
In a statement Tuesday, the ministry underscored long-standing concerns from Khartoum and Cairo about the dam's impact on downstream nations.
According to Al Arabiya news, the rise in White Nile level caused severe flooding south of Khartoum for six consecutive days.
The floodwaters swept away several riverside villages and neighbourhoods, with the Shaqilab neighbourhood transformed into a floating island.
Currently, the district's streets and public squares are completely submerged, Al Arabiya reported, publishing footage showing the deluge surrounding homes, limiting all movement and forcing residents to rely on small boats to travel between houses.
Sudan has repeatedly said that uncoordinated water releases could endanger its dams, agricultural planning, and flood management.
GERD impact on the Sudan Dam
Cairo University's Professor of Geology and Water Resources, Abbas Sharaky, has warned of the potential collapse of Sudan's Roseires Dam if high water discharge from the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), which began six days ago and coincides with the Nile River flooding, continues for another week.
While the water discharge from the GERD saw a slight decrease on Tuesday—dropping from 750 million cubic metres to 633 million cubic metres—it remains exceptionally high, Sharaky posted on Facebook.
He clarified that the current flow is more than double the normal discharge of 300 million cubic metres for this period.
He highlighted satellite imagery that shows floodwater has inundated swathes of agricultural lands and some villages along the Blue Nile, the Khartoum area, and the main Nile north of the capital.
Despite these conditions, he said Egypt's Aswan High Dam had so far managed the surge in Nile water effectively since early September.
GERD decade-long dispute
The GERD, Africa's largest hydroelectric project, has been at the centre of a decade-long dispute between Ethiopia, Sudan, and Egypt.
Addis Ababa considers the dam vital for development and power generation, while downstream neighbours worry about reduced water flows.
Egypt, which relies on the Nile for over 90 percent of its freshwater, has warned that the unilateral filling and operation of the dam pose a threat to its water security.
Sudan has echoed these concerns, saying that uncoordinated water releases could endanger its dams, agricultural planning, and flood management.
Both Arab nations have called for a binding deal on the dam's filling and operation—a matter that Ethiopia has avoided throughout a decade of talks.
Ethiopia has, nonetheless, proceeded with filling and operating the GERD on the Blue Nile, formally inaugurating the project in early September, despite continued opposition.
Egyptian Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Hani Sewilam stated on Monday that the water Ethiopia stored during successive filling stages was taken from the legal shares of both Egypt and Sudan.
"This dam is illegitimate and will remain so. Present and future generations must not take it as normal or accept it as a fact of life, except within the framework of a binding legal agreement for all parties," he said, addressing Egyptians.
He also commented on Ethiopia's reported plans to build two additional dams, affirming that Egypt has contingency measures ready for all possible scenarios.
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