No Egyptian Signature, No Halt: Egypt’s Attempted Hegemony Cannot Derail the CFA as Nile States Move Toward Equitable Utilization, Former Minister Says

Addis Ababa, September 9, 2026 (FMC) — The Nile Basin Cooperative Framework Agreement (CFA), which has officially entered into force following its signing by seven Nile Basin countries, will be implemented regardless of Egypt’s refusal to sign it, former Minister of Water and Energy Alemayehu Tegenu said.

The CFA is a regional treaty established by Nile Basin countries to provide a fair, equitable and cooperative framework for the utilization of the river’s waters. It seeks to replace outdated colonial-era arrangements with a modern framework grounded in shared benefits, reasonable utilization and cooperation among the basin states.

Alemayehu said the CFA has already secured the legal and political basis necessary for implementation, noting that the countries that have signed the agreement have reached the threshold required for its deposit with the African Union.

He said the CFA can therefore be put into practice without Egypt and Sudan, stressing that their refusal to join cannot constitute an obstacle to implementation.

Alemayehu said Egypt has opposed the CFA throughout the process and continues to reject its principles, maintaining that Cairo has shown no shift toward what he described as healthy cooperation over the Nile.

“They were against the CFA in the whole process,” he said, adding that Egypt still does not want to sign the CFA or embrace equitable cooperation among Nile Basin countries.

The former minister said Egypt continues to cling to the 1959 agreement between Egypt and Sudan, which he characterized as a colonial-era mindset that excluded Ethiopia from decisions over its own water resources. Under that bilateral arrangement, Egypt and Sudan divided the Nile waters between themselves, leaving Ethiopia with no allocated share.

He said the longstanding era of unilateral control over the Nile is now over, as basin countries move to implement the CFA and establish a rule-based order founded on equity, reason and sovereign cooperation.

Alemayehu also pointed to the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) as evidence that Ethiopia can advance major national development projects without waiting for external approval.

He said the dam is operational and maintained that its operation does not reduce the water reaching downstream countries.

“GERD is operational now. It doesn’t reduce their water,” he said, stressing that downstream countries continue to receive sufficient water while the dam is functioning.

Ethiopia, he said, should not allow foreign obstruction to dictate its development trajectory, but should instead concentrate on utilizing its water resources and advancing development across the basin.

He characterized Egypt’s conduct as a persistent impediment to Ethiopia’s development, saying Cairo’s position has consistently stood against Ethiopia’s efforts to pursue its development agenda.

“Egypt’s behavior always stands against Ethiopian development. They are always an obstacle to our development,” he said.

Alemayehu further said Ethiopia designed the GERD in a manner intended not to harm downstream countries, arguing that the project demonstrates that Ethiopia’s development aspirations and regional stability are not inherently in conflict.

He criticized Egypt’s preference for confrontation over cooperation, saying that Egyptians “prefer animosity rather than cooperation” and describing that approach as an unwise decision.

Ethiopia, he said, continues to advocate fairness, dialogue, mutual benefit and reasonable utilization of the Nile, while repeatedly inviting Egypt to engage in equitable cooperation, discussion and the peaceful resolution of outstanding issues.

Alemayehu said Ethiopia should also intensify the productive utilization of its water resources through the construction of irrigation schemes and other development projects.

He highlighted the Green Legacy Initiative and Ethiopia’s extensive soil and water conservation efforts as further contributions to the long-term water security of the Nile Basin.

He criticized Egypt for opposing these development and environmental efforts despite their wider benefits, noting that Egypt does not contribute financially to such activities while opposing Ethiopia’s development initiatives related to the Green Legacy Initiative and water and soil conservation.

“Egypt does not pay any coin for this kind of work. Rather, Egypt stands against our development for the Green Legacy Initiative, water and soil conservation,” he said.

The former minister also accused Egypt of consistently opposing Ethiopia’s efforts to secure financing from international financial institutions for development projects.

He urged Ethiopians to continue challenging what he described as “wrong narrations” created around the Nile and to assert the realities of Ethiopia’s contribution to the river., as reported by ENA

He noted that the Nile originates in Ethiopia and that Ethiopia contributes about 86 percent of the river’s water, arguing that the country therefore has a legitimate interest in pursuing equitable and reasonable utilization of its water resources.

Alemayehu stressed that Ethiopia’s position is rooted in its right to develop its water resources while pursuing cooperation and mutual benefit with other Nile Basin countries, rather than accepting arrangements that exclude it from decisions concerning a river to which it makes the overwhelming contribution.