ISMAILIA, Egypt (AP) — Egypt’s president says his country’s share of the Nile River’s waters are “untouchable” in a stark warning apparently to Ethiopia, which is building a giant dam on the Nile’s main tributary. The comment Tuesday from President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi comes amid a deadlock in talks over the dam between the Nile Basin countries, which also includes Sudan. In a news conference, el-Sissi warned of “instability that no one can imagine” in the region if the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam is filled and operated without a legally binding agreement. However, el-Sissi says his country prioritizes negotiation to resolve the lingering dispute.
