Ethiopian minister asserts sovereign Nile rights; Egypt dismisses post as "rantings"

Ethiopian Water Minister Habtamu Itefa has asserted Ethiopia's sovereign right to use Nile waters, prompting an Egyptian Irrigation Ministry source to dismiss the remarks.

• Itefa published a Facebook post asserting Ethiopia's sovereign right to develop Nile waters under "equitable and reasonable use," rejecting demands for prior approval from downstream states.
• Itefa said the GERD falls under the 2015 Declaration of Principles signed by Egypt, Sudan, and Ethiopia, citing 1950s Ethiopian objections to the Aswan Dam.
• Itefa said Egypt should explain why it built the Aswan High Dam without Ethiopian approval, citing displacement of Nubian communities.
• An Egyptian Irrigation Ministry source called the remarks "rantings and political imbalance" and asked why Itefa deleted the post from Facebook.
• The Egyptian source said Ethiopia's dam actions constitute unilateral violations of international law that Egypt considers illegitimate.