GERD Inauguration Without the People: Why Ethiopians Refuse to Celebrate?

By – Habte H.

Tonight (in US and Canada), Abiy Ahmed, flanked by his cabinet and loyal cadres, will inaugurate the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD). The government is portraying the event as a landmark achievement, a moment of national triumph. State media and regime-aligned bloggers have already flooded the airwaves with emotional praise, poetry, and orchestrated slogans. Daniel Kibret, the administration’s favored propagandist, has even gone so far as to pen verses glorifying Abiy’s “tears,” turning the ceremony into yet another spectacle of personality cult rather than national pride.

And yet, on the ground – and across social media outside the echo chambers of ruling party loyalists – there is an unsettling silence. Most Ethiopians remain unmoved. For a project that consumed billions of dollars, endless propaganda, and once embodied a unifying national dream, the absence of public enthusiasm is striking. How did a dam that symbolized collective sacrifice and pride become met with indifference? The answer lies not in the concrete walls of the GERD, but in the fractured political and social realities of today’s Ethiopia.

1. The Dam in the Hands of a Distractor, not a builder

The GERD was supposed to be a symbol of unity, dignity, and national pride. But for most Ethiopians, the project no longer feels like theirs. It is overshadowed by the man who has come to embody division and destruction. Abiy Ahmed, once hailed as a reformer, has long since turned into an autocrat presiding over devastating wars – from Tigray to Amhara and Oromia. Entire communities have been displaced, thousands killed, and countless others traumatized.

Instead of being remembered as a leader who is part of intergenerational building Ethiopia’s biggest infrastructure project, Abiy is seen as someone who looted the country’s victory. The GERD, in this context, becomes just another political trophy in the hands of a distractor, not a genuine builder. For many, celebrating the dam under his leadership feels like celebrating alongside the very person who has dismantled the social fabric of the nation.

2. Overshadowed by Deeper Pain

Even more powerful than political symbolism is the sheer weight of the current national crisis. Ethiopians today are bleeding, mourning, and hungry. Millions are displaced, families grieve for loved ones lost in conflict, and starvation looms in several regions. In such a context, who has the appetite to dance at the inauguration of a dam?

Infrastructure, however massive, cannot overshadow immediate suffering. For ordinary Ethiopians facing hunger, insecurity, and displacement, the GERD inauguration feels irrelevant. The dam’s electricity may light up cities, but it cannot light up the hearts of those crushed by war and hardship.

3. Scepticism About Completion

Another reason for the indifference is scepticism. For years, the GERD has been wrapped in political propaganda. Official announcements are often more about spectacle than substance, and many citizens believe that the project is not truly complete. For them, the inauguration is less about genuine achievement and more about political theatre – a staged event meant to polish Abiy’s image at home and abroad.

Why celebrate something that feels unfinished, uncertain, or exaggerated? Many Ethiopians would rather save their energy for a future moment – when the dam can be genuinely celebrated, free of propaganda, under a government they trust.

4. A Symbol of Lost Legitimacy

The absence of enthusiasm also highlights the widening gap between the Ethiopian people and their rulers. The GERD was once a people’s project, built from the pockets of citizens who bought bonds and contributed donations. But today, it is framed as the achievement of one man and his circle. By monopolizing the narrative, Abiy has alienated the public from what was once a shared dream. The dam now stands not as a unifying symbol, but as a reminder of how far the government has drifted from its people. Its inauguration is less a national holiday than a private party for those in power.

5. Waiting for the Right Moment

Finally, many Ethiopians believe that there will come a time to truly celebrate the GERD – but that time is not now. Celebration, in their eyes, requires a legitimate government that represents the people and a political environment where joy is genuine rather than imposed. The GERD deserves a national festival, not a staged ceremony presided over by a discredited regime. For now, Ethiopians are holding back their pride, saving it for the day when they can rejoice freely – without feeling complicit in propaganda or celebrating under the shadow of dictatorship.

Conclusion: A Ceremony for the Few

As Abiy and his loyalists cut ribbons and recite speeches at the GERD inauguration, they will likely appear triumphant. Yet beneath the ceremony lies a deep silence. The day will not be remembered as a unifying national celebration but as another example of the regime’s isolation from the people it claims to serve.

For many Ethiopians, the GERD does not belong to Abiy and his inner circle. It belongs to the citizens who sacrificed, who paid, and who dreamed of a brighter future. Until there is a government that reflects that collective spirit, the dam will remain an unfinished symbol – powerful, but estranged from the very people it was meant to empower.

Editor’s Note : Views in the article do not necessarily reflect the views of borkena.com  

Support  Borkena  : https://borkena.com/subscribe-borkena/

Join our Telegram Channel : t.me/borkena

Like borkena on Facebook

To submit Press Release, send submission to info@borkena.com

Add your business to Ethiopian Business Listing / Ethiopian Business Directory  

Join the conversation. Follow us on X (Formerly Twitter)  @zborkena to get the latest Ethiopian News updates regularly.