The Ethiopian Ministry of Water and Energy has issued an official statement strongly criticizing recent comments made by Hani Sewilam, Egypt’s Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation. The Ministry described the remarks as a manifestation of a “crude colonial mentality” that defines Cairo’s approach toward African nations by demanding prior approval before upstream riparian states can develop their own water resources.
Responding to a prior interview by Ethiopian Minister of Water and Energy Eng. Habtamu Itefa(PhD)—in which the Egyptian counterpart claimed Habtamu “admitted that the dams built on the Blue Nile aim to control the water reaching Egypt and Sudan”—the Egyptian minister reportedly stated: “Ethiopian politicians need to be educated and distinguish between installing a carpet in their houses and installing a dam on an international river.”
The Ethiopian Ministry of Water and Energy called the statement from its Egyptian counterpart “deeply regrettable.”
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The Ministry asserted that such inflammatory language and double standards have no place in basin-wide cooperation.
Rejecting any notion of “hydro-imperialism,” the statement reaffirmed Ethiopia’s sovereign right to utilize its natural resources—including the Blue Nile—to serve current and future generations. It reiterated that transboundary rivers should drive shared prosperity, cooperation, and regional integration rather than monopolistic contention and exclusion.
The response concluded by urging Egypt to move past its “obsolete policy” and “outdated hegemonic dreams,” calling instead for a 21st-century outlook grounded in mutual respect and the enlightened long-term interests of all Nile Basin countries.
