Ethiopian Informer
ADDIS ABABA: October 22 (EI) – The Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed on Tuesday stressed that “war could not be the solution” as misunderstandings mount on the construction of Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) that Ethiopia is building on the Blue Nile river.
Abiy, while responding to questions raised by members of the Ethiopian House of People’s Representatives – the lower house of the Ethiopian parliament on Tuesday, said that the East African country’s major ambition through the disputed dam is not to harm other riparian countries.
“Ethiopia has no intention of harming Sudan or Egypt in relation to construction of the GERD project,” Abiy told the parliament, adding “Ethiopia is building GERD in a way that respects its dignity and benefits, without harming the lower riparian countries.”
The Ethiopia-Egypt relations is historically entangled with the Blue Nile River – a major tributary to the Nile River – that originates from the Ethiopian highlands and shared among Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt before it reaches the Mediterranean Sea.
Ethiopia is building the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) on the river, as the dam set to be regarded as Africa’s largest dam upon completion with a total volume of 74,000 million cubic meters.
The Ethiopian premier, who noted that his country is undertaking the GERD project “for its own benefit, not to harm anyone,” also emphasized the need to work together as the project offers possible mutual benefits for all involved countries.
Abiy, however, stressed that “war cannot be a solution,” as he emphasized that “no force can stop Ethiopia from building the dam.”
Noting previous high-level meetings among leaders of the three countries concerning the construction of GERD, he also disclosed that he will meet the Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi “within the coming two days.”
The Ethiopian government had recently disclosed that construction of the grand hydroelectric dam has presently reached over 68.5 percent completion status.
As recent negotiations among Ethiopia, Egypt and Sudan regarding the filling of Ethiopia’s grand dam collapsed as the three parties still failed to reach an agreement, the Ethiopian government had earlier this month accused Egypt’s latest proposal to have crossed the “red line” from the East African country’s perspective.
“The proposal crossed the red line drawn by Ethiopia,” Ethiopia’s state-affiliated Fana Broadcasting Corporate (FBC) quoted officials at the Ethiopian Ministry of Water, Irrigation, and Energy as saying earlier this month.
