Al-Sisi warns that a diplomatic solution to the Renaissance Dam will not come at the expense of Egypt’s existence

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi said on Tuesday that Cairo was giving the issue of Ethiopian dams “diplomatic space,” but he also warned that this “would not be at the expense of the existence of Egypt and its people.”

Al-Sisi’s speech came during an event with students of the Egyptian Military Academy, where he said, according to a statement by the Egyptian Presidency, “With regard to the issue of the Ethiopian dams, the state gives room for diplomacy and peaceful solutions, but this will not be at the expense of the existence of Egypt and its people.”

He added, "The Ethiopian dam was built only as a result of the events that the state witnessed during the period from 2011 to 2013 and the absence of the state."

Sisi also continued his speech by saying that "the price that Egypt paid in 2011 was very high, and that he was keen to mention that day to ensure the preservation of Egypt."

Ethiopia had conducted the first geological survey of the Renaissance Dam area in 2009, before laying the foundation stone in April 2011. Since then, Egypt, Sudan, and Ethiopia have fought marathon negotiations without reaching an agreement on the dam.

Cairo and Khartoum asked Addis Ababa to conclude an agreement on operating the Renaissance Dam, especially in times of drought. While Ethiopian Prime Minister, Abiy Ahmed, said during the launch of the 39th African Union Summit, at the beginning of this year, that “Ethiopia is committed to the responsible management of water resources in order to achieve sustainable development.”

While Egypt and Sudan, the downstream countries, fear that the dam poses a “threat to their water security” and to their historical share in the waters of the Nile River.

Meanwhile, the Sudanese Armed Forces announced its categorical rejection of statements issued by the Chief of Staff of the Ethiopian Army last week in which he accused Sudan and Egypt of supporting Ethiopian opposition groups currently waging battles against Abiy Ahmed’s government.

The Sudanese army said in a statement on Monday night: “The Sudanese Armed Forces followed the statements of the Chief of Staff of the Ethiopian National Defense Forces, and the accusations they contained against Sudan of supporting the Ethiopian opposition.”

Egypt did not respond directly to the Ethiopian accusations, but the spokesman for the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Nader Zaki, wrote through his account on the

He continued: "Any allegations that question Egypt's commitment to these established principles are null and void."

It is noteworthy that Egypt and Sudan are in dispute with Ethiopia regarding the rules for managing and operating the Renaissance Dam, amid repeated calls to reach an agreement that takes into account the interests of the Nile Basin countries.

Construction of the dam on the Blue Nile began in April 2011, before it was officially opened on September 9, 2025, after more than 14 years of construction work. During this period, the three countries engaged in marathon negotiations without reaching an agreement on operating the dam.