This January, U.S. President Donald Trump offered to act as a mediator between Egypt and Ethiopia over Nile River waters, signaling renewed interest in the dispute. Ethiopia’s flagship project, the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), launched in 2011, has been a source of prolonged friction among Nile Basin countries. The row intensified with the dam’s official inauguration on Sept. 9, 2025, with Egyptian leaders accusing Ethiopia of violating international law. With a length of 1,780 meters (5,840 feet) and a capacity of 5,150 megawatts (MW), it is the largest hydroelectric dam in Africa by capacity. The $5 billion project, which was mainly financed by Ethiopians and their government, also benefited from Chinese loans and investments. The presidents of Djibouti, South Sudan, Somalia and Kenya attended the inauguration ceremony. “The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam is not only a feat of engineering ambition; it is also a bold affirmation of Africa’s capacity to shape its own destiny, marshal its resources and deliver transformative infrastructure in pursuit of prosperity,” Kenyan President William Ruto, who reiterated his willingness to strengthen trade relations with Ethiopia, said during a speech at the inauguration ceremony. Ruto had good reasons to be pleased. In 2022, Kenya and Ethiopia signed a power purchase agreement establishing a 500-kilovolt transmission line between the two countries. Ethiopia committed to selling substantial amounts of renewable electricity to Kenya over 25 years, starting with 200MW during the first three years and gradually increasing it to 400MW, which is more than 10% of Kenya’s current…This article was originally published on Mongabay
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