Ethiopia has dismissed Egypt’s claims regarding the visit of Nile Basin water ministers to the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), stating that attempts to discourage the trip were unsuccessful. Habtamu Itefa (PhD), Ethiopia’s Minister of Water and Energy, refuted Egypt’s warnings, calling them “false propaganda.”
Habtamu revealed that Egyptian Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation, Hani Sewilam, had sent official letters urging Nile Basin ministers to reject Ethiopia’s invitation to visit GERD. However, the majority of ministers chose to proceed with the visit despite Egypt’s objections.
According to Habtamu, the tour exposed the difference between misinformation and reality, allowing officials to see Ethiopia’s progress firsthand. He emphasized that Ethiopia did not respond to Egypt’s attempt to block the visit, as it was based on “false propaganda.”
Egypt had claimed that including GERD in the Nile Basin Initiative (NBI) discussions could escalate tensions and harm regional cooperation. However, Ethiopia maintains that GERD is a shared regional asset, crucial for economic growth and energy production in the Horn of Africa.