An Ethiopian official has vehemently denied Donald Trump’s claim that the United States helped fund the construction of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) on the River Nile, calling it “false” and “destructive”.
Trump had stated that the dam was built “with United States money, largely,” which contradicts Ethiopia’s repeated assertions that the project was entirely self-funded through government resources and public contributions.
The $4 billion dam, Africa’s largest hydroelectric plant, aims to provide much-needed electricity to Ethiopia, where about 60% of the population lacks access to power.
However, its construction has sparked tensions with downstream countries Egypt and Sudan, which fear the dam could disrupt the River Nile’s water flow.
Fikrte Tamir, deputy director of the GERD Coordination Office, emphasized that the dam was built without foreign aid, and the Ethiopian government is expected to respond diplomatically to Trump’s comments.
