ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia — Ethiopia declared on Thursday the completion of its multibillion-dollar Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), the largest hydropower project in Africa, signaling a new phase in one of the continent’s most contentious and consequential infrastructure projects.
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, addressing a televised audience from Addis Ababa Thursday, said the dam is now structurally and technically complete, with final power generation and water management systems in place.
An official inauguration ceremony is slated for September, marking the culmination of more than a decade of construction, delays, and geopolitical disputes.
“The Renaissance Dam is not built against anyone,” Mr. Abiy said.
“It is a beacon of cooperation and shared prosperity, not a source of tension. Egypt and Sudan are our brothers and sisters along the Nile.”
The $4.6 billion project on the Blue Nile, a key tributary of the Nile River, has been a source of friction between Ethiopia and its downstream neighbors, Egypt and Sudan.
Cairo and Khartoum have long argued that Ethiopia’s unilateral filling of the dam threatened their water security, potentially restricting flows that millions depend on for agriculture and drinking water.
Thursday’s announcement comes at a delicate moment in regional relations. Talks brokered by the African Union, the United States, and Gulf nations in recent years have failed to produce a binding agreement on how the dam will be operated and how disputes will be resolved.
While Ethiopia has repeatedly dismissed fears of water scarcity, promising to release sufficient water downstream during drought seasons, Egypt’s government has warned that any reduction in Nile flow would be an “existential threat.” Sudan, caught in the middle of the dispute and grappling with its own internal conflicts, has expressed concerns over potential downstream flooding and dam safety protocols.
Analysts say the dam’s completion may give Ethiopia greater leverage but also increase pressure to reach a diplomatic settlement.
“Now that the GERD is operational, the region faces a choice: cooperation over shared water resources or escalating tensions that neither side can afford,” said Muluneh Elias, a regional analyst based in Addis Ababa.
The dam, located near the border with Sudan, is expected to generate more than 6,000 megawatts of electricity, doubling Ethiopia’s energy capacity and supporting the country’s ambitions to become a regional power exporter.
Officials say the dam will help alleviate chronic power shortages and fuel industrial growth.
Yet for many Ethiopians, the dam carries deep symbolic meaning beyond its economic promise. Crowdfunded by domestic bonds and donations in its early stages, the GERD became a national rallying point, representing Ethiopia’s resilience in the face of international pressure and internal political divisions.
Egypt and Sudan did not immediately comment on the announcement. Diplomatic observers expect renewed efforts at dialogue ahead of the inauguration, though past talks have repeatedly broken down over Ethiopia’s refusal to sign a binding water-sharing agreement.
As the waters of the Blue Nile continue to flow downstream, the region’s future now rests on whether political leaders can turn one of Africa’s most divisive projects into a model of shared development—or a flashpoint for conflict.
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