/
RSS Feed
An Ethiopian official has strongly denied President Donald Trump’s claim that the United States helped fund the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (Gerd), calling the statement false and “destructive.”
Last week, Trump asserted that the controversial dam — Africa’s largest hydroelectric project — was built “largely with United States money.” However, Fikrte Tamir, deputy director of the Gerd Coordination Office, dismissed the claim, saying the dam was constructed “without any foreign aid.”
“The dam was funded by the Ethiopian government and its people,” she added, emphasizing that Trump’s comments risked undermining the national pride associated with the 14-year project.
The Ethiopian government has long maintained that Gerd was financed domestically through bond sales, public contributions, salary deductions from civil servants, and donations from the diaspora. The dam, which began generating power in 2022, was officially completed earlier this month.
Despite its independent structure, the Gerd Coordination Office was established by the Ethiopian government specifically to coordinate fundraising and public support for the project. Some Ethiopians have questioned whether the office would be aware of any confidential agreements between the US and the Ethiopian government, though no such deal has ever been acknowledged by Addis Ababa.
Trump has made similar claims before. In a recent post on his Truth Social platform, he criticized the dam as “stupidly financed by the United States” and said it “substantially reduces the water flowing into The Nile River.” The remarks appear to echo concerns from Egypt and Sudan — downstream Nile countries that fear Gerd will reduce their water supply.
Egypt, a close ally of Trump’s administration during his presidency, has been a vocal opponent of the dam.
Gerd, located on the Blue Nile in Ethiopia’s highlands — where 85% of the Nile’s waters originate — stretches over a mile and rises 145 meters. Initially projected to cost $4 billion and be completed in six years, the project has taken 14 years and exceeded its budget.
Still, public support has remained strong. According to the Gerd Coordination Office, Ethiopians contributed 1.7 billion birr (about $12.3 million) in the past year alone.
The Ethiopian government has yet to officially respond to Trump’s latest comments.
