Ethiopia has accused Egypt of intensifying its campaign against the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) to shift public attention away from internal economic and political pressures.
The President of the Ethiopian Institute for Public Diplomacy (EIPD), Yassin Ahmed, told the Ethiopian News Agency (ENA) that the dam dispute has increasingly become a political and media issue in Egypt rather than a matter focused on Nile water management.
He said Ethiopian officials believe Egyptian authorities revive the GERD debate whenever the country faces economic, political or security challenges, using the project as a distraction from domestic concerns.
Yassin stressed that Ethiopia’s disagreement is not with the Egyptian people but with policies pursued by successive Egyptian governments, which, he said, have not prioritised cooperation, partnership and regional integration.
He rejected claims that the GERD is responsible for water-related challenges in Egypt and Sudan, arguing that the project is a development initiative aimed at generating electricity, supporting regional integration and benefiting Nile Basin countries.
Yassin also accused Egypt of using the dam issue to pressure Ethiopia diplomatically, particularly as Addis Ababa promotes its positions on wider regional matters. He called for Nile Basin countries to resolve disputes through dialogue and mutual respect, insisting that Ethiopia remains committed to shared development and cooperation in the region.