๐๐ฑ๐ฉ๐จ๐ฌ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐๐ข๐ซ๐จโ๐ฌ ๐๐จ๐ฅ๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐๐๐ฅ ๐๐ก๐๐๐ญ๐๐ซ: ๐๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐จ๐ฉ๐ข๐ ๐๐ง๐ฆ๐๐ฌ๐ค๐ฌ ๐ ๐๐ฅ๐ฌ๐ ๐๐๐ซ๐ซ๐๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐๐ฌ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐๐-๐๐๐๐ซ ๐๐ฒ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฅ๐จ๐ ๐ฒ ๐๐๐ญ๐
Addis Ababa, July 30, 2026 (FMC) โ Minister of Water and Energy Engineer Habtamu Itefa has firmly dismantled renewed false allegations from downstream authorities regarding water volumes at the Aswan Dam, utilizing verified 90-year hydrological records to expose a systematic campaign of political theater, propaganda, and international pressure.
In an exclusive interview with Fana Media Corporation, the Minister addressed ongoing political narratives, stating that attempts to link downstream water fluctuations to the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) are entirely groundless and divorced from scientific reality.
๐๐ง๐ฆ๐๐ฌ๐ค๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ ๐๐ฅ๐ฌ๐ ๐๐๐ญ๐๐ซ ๐๐จ๐ฅ๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐๐ ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ ๐๐ก๐ซ๐จ๐ฎ๐ ๐ก ๐๐-๐๐๐๐ซ ๐๐๐ญ๐
Engineer Habtamu highlighted that 90-year historical hydrological data recorded at the Sudan border on the Blue Nile completely exposes the falsehood of accusations leveled against Ethiopia.
The records show that natural flow variations have historically experienced severe cyclic dropsโfalling as low as 26 billion cubic meters during dry periods, with annual volumes between 30 and 36 billion cubic meters recurring regularly every six or seven years.
Explaining current conditions, the Minister noted that low water availability this season stems directly from localized rainfall shortages across the Ethiopian highlands, which naturally dictate upstream inflows.
“If we don’t have sufficient inflow to the dam, we have nothing to release for them. This is the reality they have to know,” Engineer Habtamu stressed, adding that downstream authorities are fully aware of this scientific background.
๐๐ฑ๐ฉ๐จ๐ฌ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐ง๐๐, ๐๐ฎ๐ญ๐๐๐ญ๐๐ ๐๐ฆ๐๐ ๐๐ซ๐ฒ, ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐จ๐ฅ๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐๐๐ฅ ๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ค๐ฆ๐๐ข๐ฅ
The Minister underscored that despite full awareness of established scientific and hydrological facts, downstream actors deliberately choose to fabricate false narratives and leverage political pressure to mislead the international community.
Pointing to daily news campaigns over recent weeks trying to blackmail Ethiopia, Engineer Habtamu highlighted the absurdity of downstream media tactics:
“The funny thing, when they are publishing the news, they used to post the wrong image of the dam when it was under construction. But they say, ‘we are scared of the dam.’ If it is the real case that the dam is that much ugly as they are putting, I think to scare about it, of course.”
๐๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ฑ๐ญ๐๐ซ๐ง๐๐ฅ ๐๐ง๐ญ๐๐ซ๐๐๐ซ๐๐ง๐๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ญ๐๐๐ญ๐๐ ๐๐๐ง๐ญ๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐๐ฌ
Engineer Habtamu emphasized that the #GERD was built entirely through #Ethiopia’s own financial support, local resources, and the sweat and labor of its people, without any contribution from international partners or donors.
He noted that the dam serves as a common goal for regional prosperity, completely contradicting claims that it causes harm.
Pointing to tangible benefits, the Minister recalled that international media outlets like CNN, the BBC, and Al Jazeera used to forecast severe flood dangers in Sudan every year from May to Septemberโthreats that have been successfully halted since the construction and operation of the GERD, effectively saving lives in Sudan and downstream.
Reaffirming Ethiopia’s sovereign stance, the Minister urged Egyptian leadership to abandon hostile propaganda, discard outdated colonial-era mentalities, and recognize that a sovereign nation does not need to wait for anyone’s blessing to utilize its own land, people, and resources.