09/09/2025
መልእኽቲ ኣይተ ጌታቸው ረዳ
The Great Ethiopian Renaissance Dam has, after fifteen years of ups and downs, been officially inaugurated- a milestone not only for Ethiopia but equally important, for the Nile basin countries & the region at large. Whatever the misgivings of the lower riparian countries on account of whatever apparent threat the Dam poses to their ‘water security’-real or perceived- it behooves all stakeholders to come to terms with fact that the GERD is a fait a compli that should very well be considered an opportunity for cooperation and mutual benefit, not a source of confrontation. Failing to recognize this would be a disservice to the notion of fair play and justice in the use of shared natural resources.
Here in Ethiopia, whatever political persuasion we may subscribe to, the completion of the Dam is a monumental success that all who believed in challenging received wisdom to chart a new path to the country and beyond could take pride in.
Congratulations is in order to all who gave their all to make sure the Dam see the light of day after centuries of false starts and hollow declarations often used as a rhetorical pushback against the unbridled sense of entitlement that Egypt had long maintained. Today’s inauguration in no small measure represents the dawn of a new era in the realm of diplomacy in our part of the world. Now that the GERD has indeed become a reality, all riparian states- lower or upper- might as well resolve to work together to make the best out of it.