Addis Ababa, August 5, 2026 (FMC) — Ethiopia’s development journey has never been built on seeking permission to use another nation’s resources. It has always been anchored in a simple and internationally recognized principle: every sovereign nation has the right to responsibly utilize its own natural resources within its territory to improve the lives of its people, provided such development is pursued with responsibility and without causing harm to others.
For Ethiopia, this principle is not a new position created around the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD). It is a long-standing national aspiration shaped by the urgent need to overcome poverty, expand access to electricity, accelerate industrialization and create a foundation for sustainable growth.
The GERD has become the strongest demonstration of Ethiopia’s determination to transform its natural potential into development. Built through the contribution, sacrifice and commitment of Ethiopians, the dam represents a model of self-reliance and responsible resource utilization. It is a project designed to generate electricity, support economic transformation and strengthen regional connectivity — not to deprive downstream countries of their legitimate interests.
Since the beginning of the GERD journey, Ethiopia has repeatedly extended calls for dialogue, cooperation and mutual benefit. Addis Ababa has consistently maintained that the Nile should serve as a bridge connecting nations rather than a source of permanent political confrontation.
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has repeatedly emphasized that Ethiopia’s prosperity is not intended to come at the expense of others, highlighting the country’s commitment to peace, regional integration and shared growth. Ethiopia’s message has remained clear: development and cooperation are not contradictory; they are mutually reinforcing.
However, attempts to undermine Ethiopia’s sovereign development choices have continued. The persistent demand that Ethiopia should limit or abandon future development projects within its own territory represents an approach that conflicts with the principles of sovereign equality and equitable utilization of shared resources.
No country can claim a permanent privilege to determine how another sovereign nation uses its own natural resources, particularly when that utilization is guided by responsibility, transparency and a commitment to mutual benefit.
The GERD experience has already challenged decades-old assumptions that Africa’s development must depend on external permission. Ethiopia constructed one of Africa’s largest infrastructure projects through domestic resources, national expertise and public commitment, proving that African nations can mobilize their own capacities to pursue transformative development.
Beyond electricity generation, Ethiopia has consistently highlighted the broader regional benefits associated with GERD. The dam has the potential to regulate irregular water flows, reduce the risks associated with destructive flooding and support more predictable water management downstream. Ethiopia has maintained that responsible water infrastructure development can enhance regional resilience rather than create instability.
The reality is that Ethiopia has never pursued a policy of harming downstream countries. The country has repeatedly stated that GERD is not designed for water consumption but for electricity generation, allowing water to continue flowing downstream after power generation. Ethiopia has also continued advocating for cooperation mechanisms that address shared challenges through dialogue rather than confrontation.
Yet Cairo’s continued rhetoric against Ethiopia’s development aspirations reflects a refusal to recognize this reality. Instead of embracing a cooperative approach based on the future of the Nile Basin, such rhetoric attempts to preserve outdated assumptions that upstream countries should remain limited in their ability to develop.
Ethiopia’s position challenges a historical imbalance in Nile politics — one where upstream nations, despite contributing significant water resources to the basin, were denied meaningful opportunities to utilize those resources for development.
The international community today recognizes the importance of equitable and reasonable utilization of transboundary water resources. Modern principles of international water law do not support exclusive control by one country over a shared resource or the permanent restriction of another nation’s development.
Ethiopia’s approach has always been based on these principles. The country does not seek exclusive ownership of the Nile. It seeks fair utilization, cooperation and development opportunities that benefit all countries in the basin.
The GERD has already shown what cooperation can achieve. Ethiopia has connected neighboring countries through electricity exports, contributed to regional energy integration and continued promoting economic partnerships across the Horn of Africa. The project reflects a broader vision in which shared infrastructure becomes a foundation for peace and prosperity.
The attempt to portray Ethiopia’s development as a threat ignores a fundamental fact: Ethiopia’s challenge is not a lack of resources, but a historic lack of access to the infrastructure needed to transform those resources into improved livelihoods for its population.
A nation where millions of citizens have long faced limited access to electricity cannot be expected to abandon opportunities for responsible development. Ethiopia’s pursuit of growth is not an act against others; it is an effort to fulfill its responsibility toward its own people.
Ethiopia remains committed to dialogue with all Nile Basin countries. Cooperation remains the preferred path. But cooperation cannot mean accepting restrictions on a sovereign nation’s right to development.
The future of the Nile cannot be shaped by attempts to preserve inequality or prevent progress. It must be guided by partnership, fairness and recognition of the aspirations of all basin countries.
Ethiopia will continue developing its resources responsibly, pursuing regional cooperation and contributing to shared prosperity. Its development journey will be determined by the needs and aspirations of its people — not by efforts to undermine its sovereign right to build a better future.