BY SOLOMON DIBABA
Office of the National Coordination of GERD has recently announces that the construction of the dam has reached 90%. In the meantime the 12th Anniversary of the ground breaking ceremony for the dam will officially be marked next week at Benishangul Gumuz Regional State aiming at raising 100 million birr from sale of bonds over the current fiscal year. Wondwossen Girma, Ethiopian Diaspora Service Communication Director reported that Ethiopians and Foreign Nationals of Ethiopian Origin have contributed 50 million USD for the construction of GERD.
Over the last 12 years, despite the propaganda war and misinformation campaign on the construction of the dam that was fomented by the Egyptian media and a number of western media outlets, the people of Ethiopia here and abroad have managed to close on the final stage of the construction of the dam. The fact that the dam is now generating 750 MW from only two turbines shows that upon total completion GERD will certainly reverse the course of economic development of the country from slow motion into full acceleration.
GERD is not only about generating hydroelectric power. It is an integrated economic spot potentially combining fishery, lake side farming, tourism, center for hydrology and more. In the first place, the dam is a living testimony of what the people of Ethiopia can do when they uphold the unity of purpose, not only verbally but through practical demonstration.
Second, GERD is not just a dam that generates electricity but is also a living symbol of the Ethiopian identity which developed through a united action in repulsing foreign aggressors and ascertaining the territorial integrity of the country. It vividly demonstrates that Ethiopia can be a powerhouse both for the economic development of the country and energizer for African industrial development.
Third, the dam is a clear answer for those who wish to deny Ethiopia’s right to use her own natural resources by quoting oppressive and discriminatory colonial treaties that are already irrelevant and obsolete. Fourth, GERD is the first step towards African economic integration which is based on the lofty goals of pan Africanism and Agenda 2063. Contrary to what Egyptian media houses say, the construction of GERD will effectively facilitate the regulation of flow of water both into Sudan and Egypt on regular basis.
Fifth, the very purpose of the construction of GERD synchronizes with the cardinal objectives and purposes for which OAU/AU were founded. Speaking on the occasion of the third round filling of GERD and commissioning of unite 9 of the turbines Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said, “GERD will empower not only Ethiopian economy but also African economic integration.”
The Prime Minister added “the third phase filling of GERD heraldሰ victorious event not only to Ethiopia but also to Africa which is working towards economic integration as energy integration is one part of efforts in the continent. This dam will help us to sell power to neighboring countries.
As opposed to the repeated claim on the Nile by Egypt and Sudan based on the defunct colonial treaties of 1929 and 1959, Ethiopia has always considered that the Abay/Blue Nile is the common gift of God. Prime Minister Abiy’s statement on Abay is a vivid confirmation for this. He said “Abay is a free gift of God to Ethiopia, Egypt and Sudan. We will share it accordingly. Had it been given to us alone, it will drain in Ethiopia like Awash River”
Six, Writing on the importance of economic integration among African countries by using their natural resources, Byler B. Desmidt, in his article entitled “Regional Integration for the Horn of Africa, wishful thinking or passes for Peace” notes that The potential for peace cannot be seen in isolation from the growing drivers for economic cooperation in the region, which will raise the bar to finding common interests and priorities. In particular, the centrality of Ethiopia to the region cannot be understated – in both physical and metaphorical terms.
Stability in the region is increasingly a primordial concern for Ethiopia, due to the danger of overspills into Ethiopia near Somalia and South Sudan, but also in relation to its investments in the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), energy agreements and its expanding railway networks to overcome its being landlocked. Ethiopia has already begun supplying neighboring countries with energy from hydroelectric power, gaining the moniker the ‘water tower of East Africa’ with its 12 major drainage basins.
Last, but not the least, from the perspectives of social psychology, it could be inferred that GERD is an embodiment of the interests, needs values and attitudes that are manifested by the people of Ethiopia. This dam is a source of public confidence and social optimism that is now growing among citizens. It has shown the deeper desire of the people of Ethiopia to thrust out of poverty by using the natural resources abundantly available in the country.
Editor’s Note: The views entertained in this article do not necessarily reflect the stance of The Ethiopian Herald
The Ethiopian Herald march 30/2023
