Egypt ‘will not allow’ any party to control Nile water flows

Egypt warns against any Nile water control

An Egyptian official on Sunday warned that Cairo "will not accept or allow" any party to control the flow of Nile water to downstream countries, responding to recent remarks by Ethiopia's water and energy minister about building additional dams on the shared river. The unidentified source spoke to Egypt's official MENA news agency following statements attributed to Minister Habtamu Itefa regarding plans to construct further dams and regulate water flows to Egypt and Sudan.

'Blatant violation' of international law

The source characterized the Ethiopian minister's comments as a "continuation of Ethiopia's unilateral approach and a blatant violation of international law." The remarks reflect "Addis Ababa's continued delusions that it can impose control over a shared international river and subject it to the will of a single country," the source said.

Cairo vows to defend water rights

Egypt "will not accept or allow any party to control water flows to downstream countries, Egypt and Sudan," the source said. The official added that the Egyptian state maintains "multiple and wide-ranging tools capable of defending the interests of the Egyptian people in the Nile," declining to elaborate on specific measures.