Egypt’s Foreign Minister, Badr Abdelatty, emphasized on Wednesday that Egypt will not tolerate any tampering with its water security.
He stressed that Egypt will take all measures allowed under international law to protect its water rights and prevent any harm to its share.
Egypt has been at the center of water security concerns due to its heavy reliance on the Nile River, which provides over 98% of the country’s water supply. In recent years, tensions have risen between Egypt and upstream countries, particularly Ethiopia, over the management and development of the Nile Basin.
The Cooperative Framework Agreement (CFA), also known as the Entebbe Agreement, was introduced to create a legal and institutional framework for the equitable use and management of the Nile’s waters among its basin countries.
However, Egypt and Sudan have rejected the agreement, citing concerns that it does not sufficiently protect their water rights. Upstream countries like Ethiopia, Uganda, Rwanda, and others have signed the CFA, intensifying regional disagreements.
One of the most contentious issues revolves around Ethiopia’s construction of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) on the Blue Nile, a key tributary of the Nile River.
Egypt views the dam as a potential threat to its water security, fearing that it will reduce the flow of water downstream. Egypt has called for a review of the CFA, urging Nile Basin countries to return to negotiations and ensure cooperation that safeguards the interests of all riparian nations.
