Ethiopia opens Mega Dam, despite the warnings from Sudan and Egypt for the Nile water supplies

Johannesburg – The largest electrical dam in Africa, The Great Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), the Blue Nile is scheduled to open on Tuesday to a sensation in Ethiopia. The Al -Sadd project of $ 5 billion was a unification force for Ethiopians at home and abroad alike, who helped finance the project.

Financing calls have been launched since the launch of the project in 2011, as the government also issued bonds to finance the building of the 475 -foot structure.

However, the celebrations in Ethiopia will not extend down the great river to Sudan or neighboring Egypt, both of which warned that the dam could lead to severe consequences.

After years of failed talks, there was no agreement one day before the dam due to the start of operations on how water flowed through the mammoth structure to ensure adequate supplies in Egypt and Sudan.

Only 54 % of Ethiopia population is approximately 120 million people who can reach a reliable force, and Ethiopian officials said that the capacity of 5150 megawatts is expected to double the ability of national electricity generation.

Egypt and Sudan are opposing the dam

in Joint Last week, Egypt and Sudan said that the dam “violated international law and will lead to severe consequences for the two novice countries.”

Both countries said they are now considered water security as a source of concern for national security.

The Blue Nile flows from Ethiopia to Khartoum, the capital of Sudan, where it joins the White Nile before it flows to Egypt like the Nile.

The Blue Nile, soon to flow across the new dam, Provides more than 80 % water For the river system combined.

The government of Egypt, Noting that more than 90 % of the country is desertMost of its residents said along the Nile, and it has sparked concern for years that the dam would reduce the flow of water and cause a shortage – and officials warned that they would take measures in response if this happened.

“Anyone who imagines that Egypt will turn a blind eye to the existence of his water security is wrong.” He said in AugustShe described it as a possible “existential” threat to his country.

Al -Sisi said: “We will continue to monitor the situation and take all measures submitted under international law to protect our people’s existential resources.”

The Ethiopian Prime Minister Abi Ahmed was widely transferred as saying that the dam will benefit everyone in the region, through energy purchase and flood control agreements.

“For our neighbors in the direction of the river course – Egypt and Sudan – our message is clear: the Renaissance Dam is not a threat, but it is a common opportunity. It is a symbol of regional cooperation and mutual benefits. The energy and development that it will generate to stand not only Ethiopia, but in the region,” in the notes on July 3.

In a publication on social media on September 2, Abi called on the dam’s “historical landmark in Ethiopia”, adding that he personally had a “last prayer and my final wish was.”

Trump’s criticism and US position on esophageal reflux

The US government has long tried to balance the concerns and needs of countries in the region when it comes to the dam project. During the Biden administration in 2024, Assistant Secretary of State Molly Fili told reporters that the United States “emphasized our awareness of” Egypt’s water needs “and the importance of the Nile to Egypt”, as well as “Sudan’s concerns about dam and safety operations, and meet the needs of Ethiopian development.”

She said that the United States “is committed to the help of all these parties to discuss how the agreements related to water management, use and access to contribute to security and stability” in the region, and said that the administration has been “ready for diplomats to support such efforts.”

Recently, President Trump criticized Al -Sadd, claiming several times without providing evidence or clarification, and the last of which was in late July – that the project was “funded stupidly” with the funds of the United States, to a large extent, “with reference to Egypt specifically concerns about the water supply in the Nile.

The Coordination Authority, which was established by the Ethiopia government, denied the project’s financing strongly the assurances of Mr. Trump, and insisted on building the dam “without any foreign assistance.”

Ethiopia will host the climate summit in the second Africa of Monday, and Abi expressed hope that African leaders who attended the summit will attend the major opening celebrations on Tuesday.

Al -Sadd is expected to bring one billion dollars annually revenues, according to Abu, who has pledged that the money will help finance other infrastructure projects.