Africa’s most powerful military warns Ethiopia as Egypt vows to protect its Nile water security over controversial mega-dam

Egypt has declared that safeguarding its access to Nile River water is an existential priority that allows for no compromise.

• Egypt considers access to Nile River water an existential priority and is unwilling to compromise on it.
• Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly emphasized at the UN that the Nile is crucial to Egypt's existence and history.
• Egypt is prepared to take all legal steps to protect its water interests under international law.
• Egypt does not oppose development in neighboring countries but insists that progress should not harm others.

Speaking on behalf of President Abdel Fattah El Sisi at the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly, Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly emphasized that the river is far more than a financial resource, calling it a vital lifeline deeply intertwined with the existence and historical development of Egyptian society.

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Addressing world leaders, Madbouly affirmed that Egypt is prepared to take all legally recognized steps to safeguard its national interests.

According to an official report from Egypt's State Information Service, the Prime Minister stated that Cairo "reserves its legitimate right, guaranteed by the UN Charter and international law, to protect its water security and safeguard the existential assets of its people".

While clarifying that Egypt does not oppose economic progress for neighboring nations, he stressed that "development must not come at the expense of harming others".

Madbouly called for shared water systems to foster peace rather than strife, rejecting unilateral measures and advocating for "cooperation, good neighborliness, and binding agreements in accordance with international law".

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Cairo's firm stance comes as the U.S. deepens its security and commercial relationship with Ethiopia despite unresolved regional friction.

As reported by Business Insider Africa, senior American and Ethiopian diplomatic officials recently met on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly to expand bilateral defense, trade, and economic initiatives across the Horn of Africa.

The core of the dispute between Egypt and Ethiopia remains the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) constructed on the Blue Nile.

According to Science Direct the Blue Nile is a "river that originates in the Ethiopian highlands and has a seasonal flow dependent on annual monsoons, with its principal source being Lake Tana. It contributes to the Nile River system and picks up water from seasonal tributaries along its course."

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While Cairo views the Nile River as an irreplaceable lifeline, Addis Ababa regards its mega-dam as crucial for "energy generation, industrialisation and economic sovereignty."

A recent post by the Ethiopian Broadcasting Corporation asserted that Egypt maintains "the region's worst water conservation practices" while expecting Ethiopians to live without basic power.