Ethiopia has rejected claims by President Donald Trump that the finances to build its controversial Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) on the River Nile was provided by the United States.
Trump, in a post on his Truth Social platform, asserted that the “massive Ethiopian built dam” was “stupidly financed by the United States of America” and “substantially reduces the water flowing into the Nile River.”
Aregawi Berhe, Director General of the Public Participation Coordination Office for the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), has strongly refuted the president’s claims which h described as outrageous.
Trump made the remarks in the context of his administration’s conflict resolution efforts in Africa, stating, “I won’t get a Nobel Peace Prize for keeping peace between Egypt and Ethiopia (A massive Ethiopian built dam, stupidly financed by the United States of America, substantially reduces the water flowing into the Nile River”.
Speaking to a local media Berhe firmly stated, “What so far we have known is that the GERD, since 2012, it’s been built by Ethiopia’s people with wealth, labour and skill and financed by the Ethiopian government”.
He added, “this is more of international politics and our response won’t suffice his claim and would refer to talking to the government.”
The Ethiopian government says that GERD has been financed solely by the Ethiopian people and government through bond purchases, public donations, and contributions from the diaspora.
GERD is expected to be Africa’s largest hydroelectric power plant and is expected to be a cornerstone of Ethiopia’s development ambitions, aiming to alleviate chronic power shortages and drive industrial growth.
MG/as/APA