Egypt’s Sisi warns Ethiopia dam risks ‘unimaginable instability’

Dam construction on the Blue Nile close to Ethiopia’s border with Sudan has heightened regional tensions.

President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi has warned there would be severe regional consequences if Egypt’s water supply were affected by a giant hydropower dam being built by Ethiopia. Egypt, along with its southern neighbour Sudan, is seeking a legally binding agreement over the operations of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), which Addis Ababa says is crucial to its economic development. However, talks have repeatedly stalled over the past 10 years and Ethiopia began filling the reservoir behind the dam last year with no deal in place. It is expected to add water for a second year after seasonal rains start this summer.