Arabic version: افتتاحية إثيوبية ترفض ادعاءات الوصاية المصرية على النيل

According to Allafrica, an Ethiopian News Agency editorial argues that Egyptian official discourse on the Nile continues to frame development by upstream countries as requiring Cairo’s approval. The editorial says Ethiopia’s Ministry of Water and Energy described recent comments by Egypt’s water resources and irrigation minister as reflecting a “crude colonial mentality.”

The editorial says Ethiopia maintains that it has the sovereign right to develop water resources within its territory to meet national development needs. It cites Water and Energy Minister Habtamu Itefa as saying Ethiopia did not seek permission to build the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam and would continue developing other dams in its river basins when needs arise.

It also highlights what it calls a double standard over consultation on Nile projects. The piece says Egypt built the Aswan High Dam without upstream countries having a comparable role in the decision, while Cairo insists on consultation and approval before upstream states establish projects. It further argues that Ethiopia was not a party to the 1959 Agreement and should not be bound by arrangements it did not help shape.

The editorial says the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam has been completed and is producing energy. It cites Itefa as saying the dam helped double Ethiopia’s electricity-generation capacity to about 9.6 gigawatts, while supporting regional interconnection. Ethiopia exports electricity to Djibouti, Sudan and Kenya, according to the article, and seeks to expand its network.

In the editorial’s view, transboundary rivers should be shared resources supporting cooperation, green growth and regional integration rather than instruments of exclusion. It says Ethiopia sees water availability as potentially benefiting Sudan, South Sudan, Kenya, Somalia and Egypt, while rejecting any framework that it says would deprive upstream countries of their right to develop resources.