Ethiopia Rejects Egypt’s Unfounded Claim on GERD at UN General Assembly

Addis Ababa, September 28, 2025 (ENA) -- Ethiopia has firmly rejected what it described as unfounded claims made by Egypt regarding the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) during the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly.

Ethiopia’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Yoseph Kassaye, exercised the Right of Reply in response to remarks delivered by Egypt’s representative in the Assembly’s general debate. 

Ambassador Yoseph underscored that Egypt’s claims against the GERD have also been communicated to the UN Security Council, despite being baseless and misleading.

Ethiopia, he said, has consistently provided responses grounded in truth, principle, and international law.

“The stark contrast between Ethiopia’s long-standing policy of cooperation and Egypt’s continued hostility is clear,” Ambassador Yoseph told the Assembly, stressing that Ethiopia’s position on the Nile is anchored in the international principle of equitable and reasonable utilization.

Ethiopia criticized Egypt for attempting to impose so-called “historic rights” rooted in colonial-era treaties that excluded most Nile Basin countries.

 “While Ethiopia seeks to develop the Nile to uphold the basic human rights of its people, access to clean water, food security, and electricity, Egypt insists on denying these necessities through outdated claims of monopoly over the river,” the Ambassador said.

He also recalled that Ethiopia had engaged Egypt throughout the GERD’s planning and construction process, in contrast to Egypt’s unilateral construction of the Aswan High Dam, which displaced communities and destroyed ancient civilizations.

Despite multiple rounds of negotiations, Ethiopia noted that Egypt has repeatedly sought unreasonable concessions without demonstrating genuine interest in a mutually beneficial agreement. “Egypt’s entire focus has been to extract recognition of colonial-era entitlements and secure absolute control over the Nile Basin,” Ambassador Yoseph stated.

Highlighting Ethiopia’s commitment to peace and regional integration, he accused Egypt of undermining these efforts by fueling instability in neighboring countries through arms shipments and political interference. 

“There is no parallel comparison between Ethiopia and Egypt. Our determination to cooperate comes from the just nature of our cause and the shared future we envision with our neighbors,” he emphasized.

Ethiopia further criticized Egypt for attempting to internationalize the GERD issue, calling it “an effort to exploit the UN platform for narrow political purposes and to deflect attention from its own internal and regional challenges.”

Concluding his remarks, Ambassador Yoseph called on Egypt to abandon hostile approaches and instead play a constructive role in fostering regional cooperation. 

Hostility only breeds division and missed opportunities that is why Ethiopia remained being committed to building a future of shared prosperity with all Nile Basin countries.