"Africa's largest hydroelectric dam was officially inaugurated in Ethiopia on Tuesday, with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed insisting the project is no threat to concerned neighbors Sudan and Egypt. The $5 billion Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), which straddles the Blue Nile outside the town of Bameza near Ethiopia's northwestern border with Sudan, is seen as central to the country's economic ambitions. Under construction since 2011, the dam's turbines were first turned on in 2022 and reached their maximum capacity of 5,150 megawatts ahead of Tuesday's official inauguration."
"Speaking to dignitaries including the presidents of Somalia, Djibouti and Kenya, Prime Minister Abiy said the GERD was a "great achievement not only for Ethiopia but for all black people." Inviting "all black people to visit the dam," he said it "demonstrates that we, as black people, can achieve anything we plan." The inauguration festivities began the night before with a dazzling light show including lasers and drones spelling out slogans such as "geopolitical rise" and "a leap into the future.""
"According to local media, the project has been funded exclusively with Ethiopian money and without foreign assistance. Ethiopia's central bank reportedly provided 91% of the funding while the remaining 9% was financed by Ethiopians through bond sales and gifts. "It has been a banner to rally under, and it shows what we can achieve when unified," said Mekdelawit Messay, an Ethiopian water researcher at Florida International University."
Ethiopia officially inaugurated the $5 billion Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) on the Blue Nile near Bameza, reaching a maximum capacity of 5,150 megawatts after turbines first operated in 2022. Construction began in 2011 and the project is presented as central to Ethiopia's economic ambitions. Prime Minister Abiy invited visitors and framed the dam as a symbol of achievement for black people while insisting it does not threaten Sudan or Egypt over Nile water control. Funding reportedly came entirely from Ethiopian sources, with 91% provided by the central bank and 9% from bonds and gifts. Celebrations included a light show with lasers and drones.
Read at www.dw.com
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