Ethiopia Completes Grand Renaissance Dam, Invites Egypt and Sudan to September Inauguration

Ethiopia has officially announced the completion of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), Africa’s largest hydroelectric power project, located on the Blue Nile. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed made the declaration during a session of parliament on Thursday, inviting Egypt and Sudan to attend the formal inauguration scheduled for September, after the end of the rainy season.

Launched in 2011 with a self-financed budget of over $4 billion, the GERD stands as a powerful symbol of Ethiopia’s ambition for energy independence and regional leadership in sustainable development. At full capacity, the dam will generate over 6,000 megawatts of electricity — more than doubling the country’s current output — and will have the capacity to hold 74 billion cubic metres of water.

“This dam is not a threat, but a shared opportunity,” Prime Minister Abiy told lawmakers, addressing Egypt and Sudan directly. “We believe in shared progress, shared energy, and shared water. Prosperity for one should mean prosperity for all.”

The GERD has long been a source of regional tension, particularly with Egypt, which relies on the Nile for nearly 97% of its freshwater. Cairo has warned that the dam could drastically reduce its water supply, especially during periods of drought. Sudan has echoed Egypt’s concerns, citing potential threats to its own water security and dam infrastructure.

This week, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and Sudanese military leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan met to reaffirm their opposition to what they termed “unilateral measures” concerning the Blue Nile. Egypt’s Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation described the dam’s completion as “unlawful” and accused Ethiopia of pursuing “water hegemony” rather than cooperative management.

Ethiopia, however, has repeatedly stated its willingness to negotiate in good faith. “Any harm to Egypt or Sudan is harm to Ethiopia itself,” said Abiy. “Not a single drop of water has been lost from Egypt’s Aswan High Dam due to GERD.”

Despite over a decade of negotiations, including African Union-led and international mediation efforts, the three countries have yet to sign a legally binding agreement on the dam’s long-term operation and water release protocols. Egypt contends that Ethiopia has shown no political will to reach such an accord, while Ethiopia maintains that its actions are within its sovereign rights under international law governing transboundary rivers.

The dispute intensified after Ethiopia began generating electricity from GERD in February 2022. The dam, situated just 30 kilometres from the Sudanese border, now represents both a cornerstone of Ethiopia’s electrification strategy and a flashpoint in East African geopolitics.

With more than 60% of Ethiopia’s 130 million citizens lacking access to electricity, the government views the GERD as essential to meeting rising domestic energy demands. The World Bank has confirmed that Ethiopia remains one of the most energy-deficient nations on the continent.

Adding to the political sensitivity, reports indicate that Ethiopia has recently bolstered security around the dam, deploying special forces to ensure its protection.

A regional turning point may be on the horizon. Last year, South Sudan’s accession to the Cooperative Framework Agreement (CFA), known as the Entebbe Agreement, enabled the creation of a Nile Basin Commission — a potentially transformative step toward equitable water governance in the region.

Nevertheless, Egypt remains skeptical. In a statement Friday, Cairo dismissed Ethiopia’s diplomatic overtures as “superficial attempts to improve its image,” and reiterated its rejection of what it calls “imposed realities” on the Nile.

In response, Prime Minister Abiy called for unity and mutual benefit: “Let GERD be a beacon of what Africa can achieve — not alone, but together.”