Egypt has rejected statements by Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed regarding his country’s intention to build a number of dams in different regions of the country.
Ahmed Hafez, Spokesperson for Egypt’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stressed that the statement reveals once again Ethiopia’s “bad faith”.
It also reveals its treatment of the River Nile, as well as other international rivers it shares with neighbouring countries, as if they were internal rivers subject to their sovereignty and harnessed to only serve their interests.
Hafez added that Egypt has always recognised the right of all Nile Basin countries to establish water projects, and exploit the resources of the River Nile in order to achieve development.
He indicated that these water projects and installations should be established after coordination, consultation, and agreement with countries that may be affected by them, especially the downstream countries.
Hafez said that the Ethiopian Prime Minister’s statements are nothing more than a continuation of the country’s undesirable approach that strikes against the applicable rules of international law
These rules regulate the use of international rivers and which impose on Ethiopia to respect the rights of other riparian countries and not harm their interests.
