Egypt Says it Won’t Allow Ethiopia’s Plans to Build More Dams on the River Nile

Egypt has declared that it will not accept any new dams being built by Ethiopia on the Nile River, marking the latest dispute in the long-running dispute over the management of one of Africa’s most vital water resources.

Egypt’s Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation, Hani Sewilam, announced during a press conference in Cairo on August 4, 2026, saying Ethiopia should not proceed with additional dam projects without first agreeing to a legally binding framework governing the operation and exchange of information on Nile water flows.

Sewilam argued that the absence of such a legal agreement has already created serious challenges for downstream countries, particularly Sudan, whose authorities often struggle to operate their own dams and manage water storage without advance information on water releases from Ethiopia’s Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).

He stressed that Sudan should not be blamed for the resulting operational difficulties, saying the root cause is the lack of a transparent and legally enforceable mechanism to coordinate dam operations among the three countries.

His remarks came after media reports cited Ethiopia’s Energy Development Plan as indicating that Addis Ababa intends to construct three additional dams alongside the GERD, Africa’s largest hydroelectric project.

Egypt says the reported expansion has heightened concerns over the future management of the Nile, insisting that any new projects must be accompanied by a binding legal agreement that protects the interests of all countries sharing the river.

The dispute over the GERD has remained one of Africa’s most sensitive diplomatic issues since construction of the dam began in 2011. Egypt and Sudan have repeatedly called for a legally binding agreement governing the dam’s filling and operation, arguing that predictable water releases are essential to their water security.

Ethiopia, however, maintains that the GERD is a sovereign development project designed to generate electricity and support economic growth. Addis Ababa has consistently argued that a binding agreement is unnecessary and has repeatedly insisted that the dam will not cause significant harm to downstream countries.