Egyptian journalist and MP Mustafa Bakri has criticised a recent statement from the Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, saying it “crossed all limits of civility and wisdom and violated all diplomatic norms.”
Speaking about the statement, which accused Egypt and issued a strongly worded attack over disagreements about the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), Bakri said it “misrepresented Egypt’s position in defending its right to Nile waters, rejecting Ethiopian control, and insisting on compliance with international agreements.”
He also pointed out that the statement accused the Egyptian government of “trying to destabilise the Horn of Africa to influence Ethiopia through dependent and divided countries.” Bakri described this claim as “an exaggeration and a lie,” saying it continues the false narrative promoted by Ethiopia to win domestic public, especially as criticism of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s government grows.
Bakri stressed that Cairo “will not give up its water rights and that Ethiopia should reconsider its stance.”
The Ethiopian foreign ministry statement rejected repeated Egyptian claims about Egypt’s Nile water rights, arguing that “the repeated statements by Egyptian officials, who completely refuse dialogue and issue hidden and open threats, show the Egyptian government’s failure to understand the realities of the 21st century.”