Everybody Should Congratulate Ethiopians for Building GERD that Benefits Africa, Says American Analyst

Addis Ababa (ENA) December 20/2022 The Great Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) is the greatest accomplishment in Sub-Saharan Africa and everybody should congratulate the Ethiopian people for taking this bold challenge and building the dam that benefits the continent, the American political-economic analyst Lawrence Freeman said.

The analyst who visited the project on Monday told ENA that “there is no reason for anybody to complain about this dam. The dam is the greatest accomplishment in Sub-Saharan Africa and everybody should congratulate the Ethiopian people for taking this bold challenge and building the largest dam in Africa and the 7^th most powerful dam in the world.”

And I couldn't be happier as an American who is standing at the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam under the rapid construction, he added.

Upon completion, the massive complex infrastructure is expected to generate almost 5,200 MW of electricity that will contribute to regional economic development which will also provide stability to the region.

According to Freeman, it is in the US interest to support Ethiopia in its efforts to build the Renaissance Dam, the largest hydro-electric dam on the African continent.

The dam will be the biggest infusion of electrical power in Sub-Saharan Africa that will make Ethiopia the second largest producer of power behind South Africa.

Ethiopia should therefore be congratulated by the United States and by the western world for this phenomenal accomplishment, Freeman stressed.

“I think that the United States and the western governments should be praising Ethiopia and to be finding ways in order to develop its economy. Given the aspiration of the Ethiopian government to provide electricity, this is the first step of much work to be done.”

The analyst elaborated that “Africa needs a lot of energy infrastructure. I (therefore) want to see thousands of bigger water powers. This is an important first step and Ethiopia should be congratulated by the United States and by the western world for this phenomenal and beautiful accomplishment.”

Freeman added that he witnessed a speedy construction of the Grand Renaissance Dam.  

“So getting here today was a special moment in my adult life time……. I think that the United States and the western governments should be praising Ethiopia and to be finding ways in order to develop its economy. Given the aspiration of the Ethiopian government to provide electricity, this is the first step of much work to be done.”

He also hoped that the completion of the dam in the near future would change the Horn of Africa for the better.

When asked about the repeated grievances coming from the downstream countries, mainly Egypt, the American said that there is no rationale to complain.

There is no reason for anybody to complain about this dam. It is the greatest accomplishment in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Freeman noted that Ethiopia has reaffirmed many times that the construction of GERD will not significantly affect the flow of  the Abbay River into the downstream countries.

As a result, Ethiopia has also considered the downstream countries in the process of building the dam by making two wide bottom outlets in which water flows throughout the year.  

The American analyst believes that the Grand Renaissance Dam should be considered as a victory for this generation of Ethiopia like the forefathers.   

“As I studied, Ethiopians under Menelik II defeated the Italian army on 1^st March 1896 at the Battle of Adwa. That was the first time an African nation defeated the so-called modern army, and Ethiopia had resulted in never being colonized. The Ethiopians mindset is a strong identity for the nation of the future vision. This dam represents the same identity and mindset that was so in Adwa Victory.”

Recall that Ethiopia has completed the third filling of the reservoir of its flagship project, the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, and the second turbine with a 375 Megawatt has started  generating electricity.

The country, which is a source of 85 percent of the Nile, is filling the GERD reservoir through a gradual process and only during its rainy season to allow the river to continue flowing to downstream countries.