Egypt Expels Ethiopian Diplomat Amid Renewed Nile Dam Tensions

Egypt has expelled an Ethiopian diplomat after Ethiopia removed an Egyptian official, deepening diplomatic tensions between the two countries amid a long-running dispute over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam.

Cairo declared the Ethiopian diplomat persona non grata and gave him 48 hours to leave the country. The action followed Ethiopia’s expulsion of an Egyptian official in Addis Ababa on Thursday.

The identities of the two officials have not been disclosed. Addis Ababa had not publicly explained its decision to expel the Egyptian official, according to the information available.

Dispute over the Blue Nile dam

The diplomatic exchanges are taking place against the backdrop of a years-long disagreement over Ethiopia’s Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, a major hydroelectric project on the Blue Nile.

Egypt views the dam as a threat to its share of the river’s water. The project has remained a central source of tension between Cairo and Addis Ababa.

An Egyptian source cited by local media described Ethiopia’s expulsion of the Egyptian official as “regrettable and unjustified”. The source said Egypt’s response was taken “in line with the principle of reciprocity”.

The same source accused Ethiopia of blaming foreign actors for its “successive internal crises”. It also said Egypt refrains from commenting on developments in other states, including Ethiopia, citing international law and the UN Charter.

Wider regional tensions

Regional security concerns have added to the strain in Egypt-Ethiopia relations in recent months.

Ethiopia has accused Egypt, Sudan and Eritrea of supporting the Tigray People’s Liberation Front. Sudan denied the allegation. The claims have not been independently verified.

Ethiopia and Eritrea severed diplomatic ties on Thursday and have accused each other of fuelling internal conflicts as fighting continued in Ethiopia’s Tigray region.

Egypt has also strengthened its ties with Eritrea, whose capital is Asmara, in recent months. The developments have added a broader regional dimension to the diplomatic dispute, alongside the continuing disagreement over the Blue Nile project.