Cairo warns it will not allow new Ethiopian dams on Nile
Egypt's irrigation minister issued a stark warning against additional Ethiopian dam projects, escalating a dispute that has stalled negotiations for two years.
Why it mattersEgypt depends on the Nile for 97 percent of its fresh water. Any reduction in flow threatens agriculture, industry, and drinking water for more than 100 million people. Ethiopia's completion of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam in February and reports of three additional planned projects have pushed Cairo toward explicit red lines.
Between the linesIrrigation Minister Hani Sewilam's statement came two weeks after media reports suggested Ethiopia is planning three new dams alongside the GERD. Addis Ababa has not confirmed the reports, but Egypt and Sudan have coordinated positions in recent months, treating their water security as indivisible.
What's nextNegotiations suspended in December 2023 remain frozen. Egypt has called for a legally binding trilateral agreement on GERD operations and data-sharing, while Ethiopia maintains such an agreement is unnecessary. The dispute has entered its fifteenth year with no resolution in sight.
- GERD completion: Ethiopia declared the dam fully operational in February 2026 after the fourth and final filling in September 2023.
- Capacity: The dam holds 74 billion cubic metres of water and represents Africa's largest hydroelectric plant.
- Coordination: Egyptian and Sudanese prime ministers met in Cairo on 26 February 2026 to reject unilateral measures in the Eastern Nile Basin.