GERD Would Be Catalyst to Accelerate African Economic Integration: PM Abiy

Addis Ababa August 12/2022/ENA/ Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said that the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) should be viewed as a catalyst for facilitating the African ambition of economic integration.

The premier announced that Ethiopia has attained its third-year target of filling the renaissance dam being built on the Abbay River.

As the  height of the middle part of GERD reached 600  meters above sea level, and the left and right sides were 611 meters, the Abbay water has now started to flow over the top of the dam for the third time at this moment.

In his televised congratulatory message from Guba, the cite of the dam, to the Ethiopian public and other friends of the country, the PM said that the filling of the dam is a spectacular moment for Ethiopia and its true friends around the world.

Abiy explained that the Grand Renaissance Dam is a mega continental energy project that would gear Africa’s economic integration in realizing its long term vision of power grid and  prosperity of the continent.   

“The third-phase filling of Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam heralds a victorious event not only to Ethiopia but also to Africa, which is working towards economic integration. As energy integration is one part of the efforts in the continent, this dam would help us to sell power to neighboring countries.”

When GERD fully generates power, “it can be used not only for our neighbors, but also beyond,” he added.

This dam also allows Ethiopia to facilitate regional integration as well as open opportunities for people in the region to develop together.

Noting that Abbay is a natural resource given for Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt, Prime Minister Abiy underlined that many works can be done that can benefit not only them but also other African  states, if they use it properly.

“Just as Abbay River has connected the three countries for thousands of years, the Grand Renaissance Dam built on the river allows us to live in cooperation with our neighbors. More importantly, as the dam prevents sedimentation, it will reduce the amount of wealth and human lives lost in the downstream countries due to floods.”

Therefore, he urged the three countries to cooperate and stand together for equitable utilization of the Abbay water.

However, if there are forces that do not believe that the Nile has been given to all the three countries and deny a country to use its rightful share, they just distort the laws of nature, the premier elaborated.

PM Abiy reiterated that Ethiopia is working to ensure the benefits of the lower basin countries, saying that our Abbay River takes what it deserves while passing on what others deserve.

Ethiopia has now started to use Abbay River when the country had failed to develop the water for millennium, he said.