By Matik Kueth
Ethiopia has officially completed construction on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), a multibillion-dollar hydroelectric project on the Nile River that has fueled a long-standing dispute with Egypt.
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed made the announcement Thursday in a speech to lawmakers, stating that preparations are now underway for a formal inauguration scheduled for September.
The dam’s completion marks a significant milestone for Ethiopia, which views the project as a key driver of development and regional energy exports.
However, Egypt has strongly opposed the dam for years, fearing it will severely cut into its critical share of Nile water, the lifeline for its agriculture and more than 100 million citizens.
“Some want to see this project stopped, but we reaffirm our resolve: the dam will be inaugurated,” Abiy said.
He stressed that Ethiopia is committed to inclusive development, adding, “Our growth should not come at the expense of our Egyptian and Sudanese brothers and sisters.”
Despite repeated negotiations between the two nations, no binding agreement has been reached on how the dam will be managed, especially in times of drought.
Egypt has called GERD an existential threat, emphasizing its historic reliance on the river, and continues to invoke a 1929 colonial-era treaty that grants it the lion’s share of Nile waters.
Ethiopia began building the $4 billion dam in 2011. Located on the Blue Nile near the Sudanese border, the structure is 1,800 meters long and 175 meters high, supported by a reservoir with a massive 74-billion-cubic-meter capacity.
It began generating power in 2022 and is set to eventually produce over 6,000 megawatts of electricity, more than double Ethiopia’s current capacity, positioning the country as a major energy exporter in Africa.
While Egypt and Sudan have refrained from endorsing the regional water-sharing pact signed by 10 upstream countries under the Nile Basin Initiative, Ethiopia has found diplomatic allies in several of those nations.
The agreement, aimed at ensuring equitable water use, took effect last October despite the absence of Egypt and Sudan.
With tensions still simmering, the dam’s inauguration could reignite debates over Nile water rights and the path toward a shared future in a region historically plagued by competition over its most vital resource.