Diaspora Playing Crucial Role in Defending Ethiopia’s Interest on GERD, Other Key National Issuess

July 10,2021 (ENA) The diaspora community has been gearing up efforts in defending the national interest of Ethiopia in the international venue on various issues, including the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), by engaging in wide raging public mobilization and diplomatic activities, the Ethiopian Diaspora Agency said.

Ethiopia has been trying to convince the riparian Egypt and Sudan about the intention of the construction of GERD, but the countries have been engaged in destructive activities by misinforming the international community about the realities on the ground.

Ethiopian Diaspora Agency Director-General Selamawit Dawit told ENA today that the diaspora has been engaged in correcting the wrong narration being disseminated by the riparian countries and their allies about the GERD by explaining the realities on the ground and its development objectives.  

According to her, the Ethiopian Diaspora has been engaged in explaining about the GERD and its real objectives to the international community by using all the available means of communications.

“The diaspora community has been the voice of the nation to defending the interest of the country over the Nile River. They are conducting a peaceful struggle with the highest decency.

In addition to promoting the Ethiopian side of the issue, the diaspora community has also been engaged in convincing the international community about Ethiopia’s constructive stance over the GERD with a view to preventing the unnecessary pressure being exerted by some members of the international community by organizing peaceful demonstrations, signing petitions, and other means.

The diaspora is also working hard to defend the interest of the country by explaining the reality on the ground and the real interest of the country regarding the GERD with equal impetus with Ethiopian diplomats and ambassadors,” she elaborated.     

In the UNSC meeting held last Thursday, the Ethiopian Diaspora had organized demonstrations to protest the meeting and explain Ethiopia’s firm stance over the construction of GERD and that its objective is just to curb the nation’s energy poverty that is hindering development, she said.

“The Diasporas were very much engaged in explaining about the GERD issue to the international community that UNSC has no legal mandate to discuss about such matters and reiterating the fact that Ethiopia has been calling for negotiation over the past years in order to reach an agreement that equally ensures the interest of the three countries. Ever since we heard the news that the UNSC was to meet to discuss the GERD issue. They have also tried to explain the fact that the other parties had been disrupting a number of calls for peaceful dialogue.”

Hence, she further stated that in addition to the diplomatic efforts being made by the Ethiopian diplomatic missions in various countries, the public diplomacy has contributed a lot in the effort to bring back GERD issue to AU.

According to her, the diaspora has been exerting efforts to counter attempts being made by some members of the international community to pressurize the country to force it act with their terms on several issues, including the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).   

Besides the public diplomacy effort, the diaspora community raised close to 192 million Birr during the just concluded Ethiopian budget year, which is more than 7 fold compared to the donation secured last year that stands at 26 million Birr, Selamawit said. The money is raised in bond purchase and donation.

She stated that the successful accomplishment of first filling of the dam conducted last year encouraged the diaspora community to raise such amount of finance to help the construction of the dam.

Ethiopians across the world have been expressing their readiness to intensify the ongoing efforts to defend the national interest of Ethiopia and clarify the existing realities in the country.