Abiy made the remark on the ninth anniversary of the start of construction on the GERD, which commenced in 2011. The Ethiopian prime minister added that "Ethiopia faces two challenges, namely the outbreak of coronavirus and the completion of the dam." "The reason why we put huge emphasis on this dam is because it is a symbol of our sovereignty and unity," he stressed. Tensions have been building between Egypt and Ethiopia over some technical details regarding the operation and filling of the dam. Ethiopia hopes that the massive $4.8 billion project on the Blue Nile will allow it to become Africa’s largest power exporter.

Source: Ethiopian News April 01, 2020 21:11 UTC