Egypt has said that it has submitted a letter to the UN Security Council warning against Ethiopia’s operation of its new Nile dam, describing the move as a “breach” of international law.

In the letter, Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said Addis Ababa’s inauguration of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) was “an unlawful unilateral act.”

“Any misconceptions that Cairo would turn a blind eye to its existential interests in the Nile are pure delusions,” the letter said, stressing that Egypt “will not allow Ethiopia to impose unilateral control over shared water resources.”

Cairo said it reserves the right to take all measures permitted under international law and the UN Charter “to defend the existential interests of its people.”

Ethiopia launches GERD

The ministry said that while Egypt has exercised maximum restraint and chosen diplomacy over confrontation, Ethiopia has “pursued intransigent positions, stalled negotiations, and sought to impose a fait accompli.”

It said that Addis Ababa’s recent steps represented “a new violation that adds to a long list of breaches of international law, including the Security Council’s presidential statement of Sept. 15, 2021.”

There was no immediate comment from Ethiopia on the Egyptian statement.

The Ethiopian government inaugurated the GERD on the Blue Nile on Tuesday after 14 years of construction, a project that has long been disputed by downstream nations Egypt and Sudan over its filling and operation.

Diplomatic tensions

Construction on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) began in 2011. Over the years, it has become a point of diplomatic tension, particularly between Ethiopia, Sudan, and Egypt, which fears reduced water flows could affect its share of the Nile.

Despite years of negotiations under the African Union and international mediation, the three countries have yet to reach a legally binding agreement on long-term water management.