Cairo responded in three words \u2014 \u201cThey are equal to nothing\u201d \u2014 to accusations made by the Ethiopian army chief against Egypt of supporting armed groups fighting government forces in Ethiopia.<\/p>\n
\u201cNader Zaki,\u201d the official spokesperson for the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, posted a message on his Facebook account on Monday evening, stressing that Egyptian foreign policy is based on firm and indivisible principles, foremost among them respect for the sovereignty of states and the unity and territorial integrity of their territories, as well as a full commitment to non-interference in the internal affairs of any state.<\/p>\n
He added that \u201cany allegations questioning Egypt\u2019s commitment to these firm principles are equal to nothing.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Egyptian response came after sharp statements by Ethiopian Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces Marshal \u201cBerhanu Jula,\u201d in which he accused Egypt, Sudan, and Eritrea of providing support to armed groups fighting government forces in northern Ethiopia, considering that his forces are facing organized and allied parties serving the interests of external powers targeting his country.<\/p>\n
The verbal exchange coincided with new developments on the ground in the \u201cTigray\u201d region and other areas of northern Ethiopia, where armed clashes have resumed between federal forces, the Tigray People\u2019s Liberation Front, and \u201cFano\u201d forces.<\/p>\n
The Ethiopian accusations reflect the continued state of tension and suspicion between Cairo and Addis Ababa, as the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam remains a central point of disagreement. Egypt maintains the need to reach a legally binding agreement on the operation and filling of the dam in a manner that protects its water security and its historical share of the Nile River\u2019s waters, amounting to 55.5 billion cubic meters.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Ethiopia continues to take unilateral measures regarding the operational filling of the dam without coordination with the two downstream countries, Egypt and Sudan, which has led the tripartite negotiations to a deadlock.<\/p>\n
Tensions between the two countries escalated after Addis Ababa signed a memorandum of understanding with the internationally unrecognized \u201cSomaliland\u201d region, aimed at gaining access to the Red Sea. Cairo viewed this as a threat to Somalia\u2019s sovereignty, the security of the Red Sea, and navigation through the Suez Canal, and Egypt responded by strengthening its military and security relations with Mogadishu and Eritrea.<\/p>\n
United News Network \u2013 UNN Arabic<\/strong><\/p>\n An independent media platform that provides reliable news and objective analysis, and seeks to promote peace and cultural dialogue around the world, to convey the truth and build bridges of understanding among peoples.<\/p>\n