The civil society organizations, members of the Nile Discourse Forum Egypt (Eg-NDF), convened at the headquarters of the Journalists Syndicate in Cairo, express their categorical rejection of the unilateral step taken by the Ethiopian government in officially announcing the inauguration and operation of the dam constructed on the Blue Nile. This action constitutes a blatant violation of international law and the established norms governing shared international water courses. It also reflects a repeated disregard for the relevant obligations and agreements, foremost among them the Presidential Statement issued by the United Nations Security Council on 15 September 2021 and the Declaration of Principles signed by Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia.

The Forum members affirm that such unilateral behavior by Addis Ababa entrenches a policy of imposing a fait accompli and undermines the foundations of the desired regional cooperation within the framework of the Nile Basin Initiative. It also contravenes one of the most important principles upon which the Nile Basin Discourse (NBD) was established—namely, participation, transparency and equitable, fair and sustainable utilization of shared resources.

The Nile Discourse Forum stresses that excluding the two downstream countries (Egypt and Sudan) from participating in the management and operation of this project endangers the water interests of the peoples of the Nile Valley and poses serious risks to regional peace and stability. It also completely contradicts the philosophy of the Nile Basin Discourse, embodied in its founding motto since 2003: “One Nile… One Family.” The Eg-NDF further recalls that the NBD had previously rejected the adoption of the Cooperative Framework Agreement (CFA) at the time of its release by the Nile Basin Initiative, due to the objections of Egypt, Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The Forum reaffirms its adherence to the principle of consensus regarding this agreement, which denies the existence of fixed water shares for any basin country, thereby threatening the water security of the downstream states.

Out of its firm belief that the Nile River represents a lifeline for all its peoples, the Forum declares its full support for the official position of the Arab Republic of Egypt, as expressed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in its letter to the United Nations Security Council, which emphasized Egypt’s rejection of all unilateral Ethiopian measures and its non-recognition of any legal, political or technical consequences arising therefrom. The Forum commends Egypt’s longstanding commitment to peaceful solutions, self-restraint and adherence to international law, despite persistent intransigence and procrastination by the Ethiopian side.

At the same time, the Forum affirms that any attempt to mislead international public opinion with false claims of absolute sovereignty over the Blue Nile will not alter the fact that the river is a shared resource. The Forum also rejects the exploitation of the dam project for internal political purposes at the expense of the historical and legal rights of downstream countries. In this context, the Forum reiterates Egypt’s full right to take all measures and actions guaranteed by international law and the Charter of the United Nations to defend its water security and the interests of its people.

As part of the regional civil society initiative for the Nile Basin, the Nile Discourse Forum calls upon the international community and the member states of the Nile Basin Initiative to assume their responsibilities in addressing Ethiopia’s violations and to uphold the principles of cooperation, justice and mutual respect, ensuring a secure and sustainable future for all the peoples of the Nile, in the spirit of the shared motto: “One Nile… One Family.”

Issued at the headquarters of the Journalists Syndicate, Cairo, on 28 September 2025

Signatories – Civil Society Organizations, Members of the Egypt – Nile Discourse Forum:

• Arab Office for Youth and Environment (AOYE)
• Arab Network for Environment and Development (RAED)
• Egyptian Sustainable Development Forum (ESDF)
• The Society of Writers on Environment and Development
• Egypt Youth Association for Development and Environment
• Arab forum for Youth and Environment