Addis Ababa, September 22, 2025 (FMC) – Mass rallies held in Harari Region and Dire Dawa City Administration today to celebrate the successful completion of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), a project widely regarded as a symbol of Ethiopia’s unity, resilience, and determination.
The nationwide celebrations have been ongoing since September 9, when the GERD was officially inaugurated near its site in the Benishangul-Gumuz Region. The inauguration was presided over by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and attended by senior Ethiopian officials, representatives of the African Union, and foreign dignitaries including Kenyan President William Ruto, Djiboutian President Ismail Omar Guelleh, South Sudanese President Salva Kiir Mayardit, and Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud.
Often referred to as “the people’s project,” the dam was funded predominantly by Ethiopians through domestic revenue, bond issues, and contributions from citizens living abroad, highlighting national ownership and the collective effort behind its realization. Following the inauguration, celebrations and rallies spread across the country, with citizens in various regions gathering to express pride and support for the landmark project.
In Harar, residents from both rural and urban districts gathered under the theme “We Did It in Unity” to express solidarity and appreciation. Demonstrators hailed the dam as a “triumph of victory,” a “timeless heritage,” and “a pillar of unity and prosperity built through the strength of Ethiopians.”
Similarly, thousands of residents in Dire Dawa took to the streets, later converging at the city’s main stadium. Participants carried banners and chanted slogans emphasizing collective achievement, including “It’s My Dam,” “We Did It in Unity” and “Abbay has been harnessed for Ethiopia’s development and prosperity.”
Senior regional and city officials also joined the rallies, reinforcing the sense of national pride and ownership.
Located on Ethiopia’s Abbay River, GERD is Africa’s largest hydropower project, with an installed capacity exceeding 6,000 megawatts and a reservoir holding approximately 74 billion cubic meters of water. At 170 meters high and 1,800 meters long, it is the continent’s largest roller-compacted concrete gravity dam. Beyond transforming Ethiopia into an energy hub, the dam is expected to expand electricity access, support industrial growth, and provide opportunities for regional power export.
GERD stands as a milestone of national unity, engineering achievement, and self-reliance, demonstrating Ethiopia’s capacity to deliver large-scale projects with domestic resources and collective effort. Various analysts said the dam also underscores Ethiopia’s commitment to cooperative water management in the Nile Basin, balancing national development with regional considerations.