By Simba Munyua
An Ethiopian official has vehemently denied former US President Donald Trump’s assertion that the United States largely funded the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), labelling the claim “false” and “destructive.”
Fikrte Tamir, deputy director of the GERD Coordination Office, stated on Tuesday that Africa’s largest hydro-electric plant was built “without any foreign aid,” directly contradicting Trump’s remarks from last week. President Trump had claimed the controversial dam was constructed “with United States money, largely.”
The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, a flagship project for Ethiopia, recently began generating electricity in 2022 and was fully completed earlier this month. Over its 14-year construction period, Ethiopian authorities have consistently maintained that the multi-billion-dollar project was financed solely by the government and through significant contributions from the Ethiopian people.
This is not the first time Trump has made such a claim. Last month, in a post on his Truth Social platform, he alleged the dam was “stupidly financed by the United States of America” and would “substantially reduce the water flowing into The Nile River.”
The GERD, which is more than a mile long and 145m high, is situated on the Blue Nile in the northern Ethiopian highlands, a region contributing 85% of the Nile’s waters. Ethiopia champions the dam as crucial for its development, aiming to provide desperately needed electricity to its population, with currently 60% lacking supply.
However, the ambitious project has been a source of significant tension with downstream nations Egypt and Sudan, both of whom fear the dam could severely impact their vital water supplies from the Nile. Egypt is a key ally of the Trump administration.
While Ms. Fikrte Tamir dismissed the US funding claim, she also suggested that the Ethiopian government should respond to Trump’s remarks with “far-sighted and carefully considered diplomatic procedures.” The Ethiopian government itself has yet to issue a direct response to Trump’s comments.
Questions have emerged among some Ethiopians regarding how privy the GERD Coordination Office, despite its independent status, would be to any potential undisclosed foreign financing deals between the government and the US.
Despite running significantly behind schedule and over budget from its initial $4 billion (£2.9 billion) projection, the dam has continued to draw enthusiastic public contributions. The GERD Coordination Office reported collecting 1.7 billion birr ($12.3 million; £9.1 million) from the public in the year leading up to July 7th alone, underscoring the deep national pride and commitment to the project.
