Egypt calls Ethiopian Renaissance Dam ‘illegitimate,’ reserves right to act to protect water security

Egypt considers the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) “illegitimate” and reserves the right to take any measures it deems necessary to protect its water security, Irrigation and Water Resources Minister Hani Sewilam said Sunday.

Sewilam made the remarks during a briefing in Cairo with representatives of foreign media in Egypt organized by the State Information Service.

Egypt and Ethiopia have been at odds for years over the GERD, which Addis Ababa began building on the Blue Nile in 2011. Cairo has repeatedly demanded a legally binding agreement regulating the dam’s operation to safeguard its water security.