Former assistant foreign minister Ambassador Mohamed Higazy. Photo: Al-Ahram
He described it as “an irresponsible and hostile unilateral act, a crime against the environment, and a reckless assault on regional security,” in a strongly worded statement.
Higazy rejected what he called Ethiopia’s “continued intransigence and unilateral measures” undertaken without consultation or regard for the interests of Egypt and Sudan.
His remarks came as Ethiopia marked the opening of the dam after 14 years of construction. The move, carried out without a binding agreement due to Addis Ababa's lack of compromise during negotiations, has long raised fears in Cairo and Khartoum that their water security could be imperilled.
Egypt has repeatedly stressed that any action threatening its water supply is a red line.
Higazy said Ethiopia’s approach undermines regional stability, exposes the Nile to “grave environmental risks,” and poses “a direct threat to the national interests of both Egypt and Sudan.”
“By ignoring repeated calls to reach a legally binding agreement on the rules governing the filling and operation of the dam, Ethiopia is blatantly violating its obligations under international law governing transboundary rivers, as well as the principles of good faith and cooperation among riparian states,” he said.
Higazy added that Addis Ababa’s unilateral course endangers the rights and livelihoods of more than 150 million Egyptians and Sudanese who depend on the Nile as their principal source of life.
While reaffirming Egypt’s commitment to reaching a binding deal, he warned that Cairo “will not compromise its historical and legally entrenched rights in Nile waters.”
Egypt, he said, reserves the right to take any political, diplomatic, legal or other measures it deems necessary, including those provided under the United Nations (UN) Charter, if Ethiopia persists in imposing a fait accompli.
He urged the international community, particularly the UN, the African Union, and other partners, to put pressure on Addis Ababa to “engage seriously and constructively in negotiations.”
The goal, he said, must be “a fair and balanced agreement that protects the rights of all three states and prevents the region from sliding into conflict—one that would destabilize East Africa, the Horn of Africa, and by extension, the security of the Gulf, the Red Sea, and global maritime trade.”
Higazy warned that Egypt could return to the UN Security Council or the African Peace and Security Council and use external actors to block financing for Ethiopia’s future projects.
He criticized Addis Ababa’s failure to see that “the region’s future lies in comprehensive, integrated cooperation,” including power-sharing, connectivity, trade, and investment.
The Eastern Nile, he argued, could be transformed into a “corridor for development” linking water, energy, transport and growth.
But he also warned that international actors might try to use water as a “pressure card against Egypt for political ends,” adding: “Egypt’s awareness of such schemes makes it resilient against such attempts.”
“While some international leaders have, on multiple occasions, urged Egypt to respond aggressively to Ethiopia’s actions—acknowledging Cairo’s legitimate grievances—Egypt, as a responsible regional state, has chosen instead to defend its interests through negotiations and diplomatic means,” Higazy stated.
However, he cautioned that if its water rights are compromised, Egypt “retains the capacity to defend them in the manner it deems necessary.”
Short link: