Prime Minister’s Office Full Statement about GERD (October 24, 2020)

The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) is an affirmation of Ethiopia’s commitment for equitable and reasonable utilization of the Abbay River.

Ethiopia’s aspiration and commitment for development is best demonstrated through the unanimous support and contribution to the construction of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD). From the very inception, GERD has been an attempt to answer what has been our generations’ quest for an equitable and reasonable utilization of the Abbay and other rivers contributing to Nile from Ethiopia. About 85% Nile flow originates from Ethiopia. It is an inflection point where a nation and its proud people stopped lamenting the past and toiled to achieve what once seemed impossible. In this regard, a great milestone was reached last August 2020 when the first phase of the water filling was completed before the end of Ethiopia’s winter season.

Parallel to this construction work, Ethiopia has expressed on several occasion its abiding commitment for cooperation on the Nile based on mutual trust and the principles of equitable and reasonable utilization of the river. The negotiation with the lower riparian states has shown significant progress since the AU seized of the matter as a manifestation of Africa’s capability to respond to its own problems. Nonetheless, occasional statements of belligerent threats to have Ethiopia succumb to unfair terms still abound. These threats and affronts to Ethiopian sovereignty are misguided, unproductive and clear violations of international law.

As a developing nation, Ethiopia may be confronted with poverty, but are rich with history, patriotic citizens whose commitment to defend their country’s sovereignty is unparalleled and an ambition and a well-articulated plan for prosperity. Ethiopia will not cave-in to aggressions of any kind, nor do we give recognition to a right that is entirely based on colonial treaties.

We still wish to reiterate our commitment for a peaceful resolution of the matter on GERD based on cooperation, non-interference, mutual trust and the principle of equitable and reasonable utilization.