AfrElec: Ethiopian PM announces completion of $5bn Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said on Thursday (October 31) that the construction of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) is now 100% completed and has achieved significant water storage, according to Al-Ahram.

In a Q&A during a parliamentary session, Abiy described the $5bn hydropower project as a "significant opportunity" for neighbouring Sudan and Egypt, emphasising that the dam will not adversely affect the downstream nations.

He stated, that “Ethiopia will release water to Sudan and Egypt if a shortage arises,” and also asserted that the country would not “permit threats to its sovereignty.”

Meanwhile, Egypt, which relies predominantly on the Nile for its water supply, has been expressing concern that the dam will exacerbate its already limited water resources. Along with neighbouring Sudan, the two countries have sought a legally binding agreement with Ethiopia for over a decade to regulate the filling and operation of the GERD, ensuring the water security of all parties involved.

In September, after the dam's fifth filling, which began in July, Egyptian Minister of Foreign Affairs Badr Abdelatty wrote to the United Nations Security Council rejecting Ethiopia's actions regarding the GERD.

Nevertheless, over the past three years, Ethiopia has unilaterally progressed through four phases of filling despite strong opposition from Egypt and Sudan, and completion has now been officially announced.

Despite PM Abiy's repeated emphasis on the importance of collaboration and his suggestion that the GERD could catalyse regional development, tensions between Egypt and Ethiopia continue to escalate.

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