Ethiopian Prime Minister announces completion of Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam

The Ethiopian Prime Minister, Abiy Ahmed announced on Thursday that his country will officially inaugurate the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) next September, after the rainy season comes to an ends. He invited the Egyptian government and the de facto authorities in Port Sudan to participate in the event, which he described as historic.

These statements came in response to questions from members of the Ethiopian Parliament, as he emphasized that “the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam will not harm the interests of Egypt and Sudan,” noting that “the Aswan Dam has yet to lose a single liter of water due to the Ethiopian Dam.”

Abiy Ahmed added, “Some are trying to obstruct the Dam’s inauguration; however, they will not succeed,” expressing Ethiopia’s readiness to continue dialogue with the Egyptian side.

The Ethiopian Prime Minister concluded his remarks by sharing, “We will extend an official invitation from the Parliament podium to our brothers in Egypt to participate in the inauguration ceremony in September and the rainy season comes to an end,” emphasizing that the project represents an opportunity for regional cooperation, not conflict.

An Existential Threat

The construction of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam has exacerbated tensions with neighboring countries, particularly Egypt. The Egyptian Minister of Irrigation emphasized that (GERD) represents an “existential threat” to Egypt, adding that the latter’s water rights ought to be protected by all means. Furthermore, he affirmed his country’s rejection of any unilateral solutions.

Egypt called on the UN Security Council and the United Nations to pressure Ethiopia to halt the filling and operation of the (GERD) without the existence of a legally binding agreement.

Egypt and Sudan have repeatedly emphasized their rejection of any reduction in their Nile water rights or unilateral steps to build the dam.