Addis ababa: Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has today inaugurated the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) in the presence of African leaders.
According to Ethiopian News Agency, the inauguration ceremony was attended by several prominent leaders, including Ismal Omar Guelleh, President of the Republic of Djibouti; Salva Kiir Mayardit, President of the Republic of South Sudan; Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, President of the Federal Republic of Somalia; William Samoei Ruto, President of the Republic of Kenya; Mia Amor Mottley, Prime Minister of the Republic of Barbados; and Russell Mmiso Dlamini, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Eswatini.
Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, Chairperson of the African Union Commission, and Claver Gatete, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), were also present at the event. The ceremony, which is being broadcast live, is attended by high-level Ethiopian government officials and representatives from other countries.
Unlike many large-scale African projects that rely on foreign debt, the GERD was funded almost entirely by the Ethiopian people. This initiative has been hailed as a compelling model for nations seeking to build critical infrastructure and achieve financial independence without the burden of external loans.