 top official strongly refuted claims made by President Donald Trump regarding the dam's financing.){kind=link}
By: Getahun Tsegaye
Staff Reporter
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia- Dr. Aregawi Berhe, Director General of the Public Participation Coordination Office for the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), has strongly refuted claims made by President Donald Trump regarding the dam’s financing. 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.” He made these 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 Borkena, Dr. Aregawi 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. Trump’s claim is groundless.” He added, “this is more of international politics and our response won’t suffice his claim and would refer to talking to the government.”
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed appointed Dr. Aregawi Berhe, a veteran opposition leader, as Director General of the Office of the National Council for the Coordination of Public Participation to the Construction of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) in October 2020. Dr. Aregawi Berhe is one of the opposition political party leaders who had spent years in exile and returned home prior to his appointment, following the political reforms undertaken by Prime Minister Abiy’s administration. He is currently a chairperson of the opposition “Tigray Democratic Coalition Party” and was also one of the founders of the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF). His appointment was seen by some as an effort to foster national unity and broaden public support for the GERD, a project that transcends political divides within Ethiopia.
Borkena has attempted several times to get comments from the FDRE Government Communication Service and the Ministry of Water and Energy – Ethiopia, but was unsuccessful.
Since its commencement in 2011, launched by the late Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, the GERD has been consistently presented by subsequent Ethiopian leaders, including the late Prime Minister Hailemariam Dessalegn and current Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, as a project financed solely by the Ethiopian people and government through bond purchases, public donations, and contributions from the diaspora. The Office of the National Council for the Coordination of Public Participation to the Construction of GERD, established concurrently with the dam’s announcement, has reportedly secured billions of Birr to finance the construction through these means.
The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, set to be Africa’s largest hydroelectric power plant, is a cornerstone of Ethiopia’s development ambitions, aiming to alleviate chronic power shortages and drive industrial growth. However, the project has been a source of significant tension with downstream nations, particularly Egypt, which relies almost entirely on the Nile for its fresh water.
Egypt views the GERD as an existential threat to its water security, fearing that the dam’s filling and operation will drastically reduce its “historical share of Nile waters.” The country’s concerns are rooted in the 1959 Nile Waters Agreement between Egypt and Sudan, which allocated the vast majority of the Nile’s flow to these two nations. Ethiopia, however, was not a party to this agreement while more than 85 percent of the Nile water originates from its highlands and asserts its sovereign right to utilize its fair share of the Nile’s waters for its development needs.
President Donald Trump’s involvement in the GERD dispute, including his administration’s attempts to mediate, was met with mixed reactions. While Egypt welcomed the mediation, Ethiopia expressed reservations about what it perceived as a biased approach that favored Egypt’s position. Trump’s 2020 remarks, suggesting Egypt might “blow up” the dam, further inflamed tensions and were strongly condemned by Ethiopia.
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Borkena,
Please get a good editor. Or a good translator, if conversation took place on Amharic. It is embarrassing to overlook such stupid reporting. “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. Trump’s claim is groundless.” He added, “this is more of international politics and our response won’t suffice his claim and would refer to talking to the government.”
Alem,
Your relentless criticism on Borkena is noted. As is the case with any media, it is obvious that Borkena needs dedicated editor. Whenever you criticize borkena, you need to remember that this is not a site funded by state actors in “the west.” Of course you have to be a cheerleader to be funded and borkena is not one. Borkena is not getting a handout from the government in Ethiopia as well. It takes a great deal of dedication of time and energy ( in case you do not know) to run a platform like this on top of other commitments. Since January this year, borkena disclosed to the audience the difficult circumstances under which it is operating and resource mobilization effort is underway. While Borkena has tens of thousands of daily readers, So far only about 60 readers committed to support borkena by subscribing just for $1.30 per month – very negligible amount. yet at least 7K subscribers is needed to optimize the operation. Have you done your part? Or you just think that we do not understand the importance of hiring a competent editor?
Also you need to understand that Borekna’s reporter based in Addis Ababa quoted Aregawi Berhe directly! You got it??
Hey Borkena Publisher,
My comments were meant to raise the bar so that your mag is at its best. I do understand your struggles. Thank you for all you’re doing. Take care.
Dear Editors,
Many of us readers know you are doing the best you can to keep us abreast with what is going on in the old country despite being so understaffed. I now understand that you have a reporter on location in the old country and I assume the gentleman who reported this news article, Obbo Getahun Tsegaye, is the one. This octogenarian congratulates on such milestone. It is reassuring to know your coffer is clean of any handout from the Ethiopian government as you mentioned in this statement:
‘Borkena is not getting a handout from the government in Ethiopia as well.’
In such scheme of buying out reporters and news outlets, the evidence shows the regimes in Arat Kilo have not been the only ones since 1991. The regime in Asmara has been in the hunt since its march into Asmara in 1991 and very successful at it. It is not very hard to see. I hear that it has been very successful in luring news outlets among our Diaspora with brown paper bags stuffed with thousands of cold crisp US dollars. That has been tempting for those that are cash strapped. You can easily see that if you watch the posting on those shameless websites carefully. Its cadres have had field days on the comment sections and forums. It is a dirty atmosphere out there.
I applaud you for staying clean of such despicable behavior.
The cause of Ethiopia is a core mission to the operation of Borkena. No matter how hard the struggle is to maintain it, there is no room for sordid financial support. The subscription alternative is the best option as it does not create a financial burden to readers. It only takes commitment to support and secure methods of payment is provided. $1.30 per month is truly negligible.
Dear Editors,
It is reassuring to know your website has never received any financial assistance from the governments of Eritrea and Ethiopia or their agents. Let’s put some concrete enforcement on this,
We, Borkena and all its employees hereby testify that we have never accepted and used any monetary fund from any country of The Horn of Africa. We pledge to never receive financial assistance in any form from the government of Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia and The Sudan or their agents!
All you have to do is say ‘We do, so help us God!’
It will also help if you rent a P.O. Box so those who are not comfortable with setting up payment plan can send you the financial assistance your website needs. I looked into your contact section and found no physical or a P.O. Box address. Please do that. You had told me before during one of our exchanges of comment on this very website that your place of domicile is Toronto, Canada.
We are all proud of you.
Well!?
Any response?
‘