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Ethiopia Defies Int’l Pressure over GERD, Says to Build over 100 Dams

File photo of Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. (AP)
File photo of Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. (AP)
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Ethiopia Defies Int’l Pressure over GERD, Says to Build over 100 Dams

File photo of Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. (AP)
File photo of Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. (AP)

Ethiopia has defied the international pressure on it due to the dispute with Egypt and Sudan over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said Addis Ababa plans to build more than 100 small and medium dams in various areas across the country in the upcoming fiscal year.

“This is the only way to resist any forces opposed to Ethiopia,” Ahmed stressed.

He made his remarks during the laying of the foundation stone for the construction of the first phase of the Adama-Awash 60-kilometer-long highway project, which aims to enhance social and economic integration with Djibouti and the nearby areas of Adama.

The PM affirmed that the new dams will boost agricultural production, which is expected to triple to ensure food security.

He did not disclose further details on the locations of these dams or the rivers they will be built on. Nine major rivers pass through the country.

Ahmed stressed the need for all Ethiopians to join hands to achieve these ambitions and other development programs.

Regarding Addis Ababa’s relation with the rest of the world, Ahmed said ties are based on diplomacy since Ethiopia is one of the co-founders of the Organization of African Unity.

Commenting on recent negative comments against Ethiopia, he stated they are not based on “actual facts” and aim to undermine the country’s long-standing diplomatic relations with all world countries.

Ethiopia’s economy will soon boom, he vowed, underscoring the importance of unity during this phase.

Addis Ababa began constructing the 1.8-kilometer-long GERD in 2011 to generate power. The construction process has reached 80 percent, a jump from 74 percent in June 2020, according to Ethiopia’s Ministry of Water, Energy and Irrigation.

Egypt and Sudan stress the need to reach a binding and comprehensive agreement that guarantees the rights and interests of the three countries and includes a mechanism for settling disputes on the filling and operation of the dam.

They fear the potential negative impact of GERD on the flow of their annual share of the Nile’s 55.5 billion cubic meters of water.

Ethiopia announced it still had plans to move forward with the second phase of filling the mega-dam when the rainy season begins in July.

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Russia Has Decided 'at Highest Level' to Remove Taliban from Terrorist List

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov shakes hands with Acting Foreign Minister of Afghanistan's Taliban movement Amir Khan Muttaqi during a meeting in Moscow, Russia, October 4, 2024. Russian Foreign Ministry/Handout via REUTERS
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov shakes hands with Acting Foreign Minister of Afghanistan's Taliban movement Amir Khan Muttaqi during a meeting in Moscow, Russia, October 4, 2024. Russian Foreign Ministry/Handout via REUTERS
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Russia Has Decided 'at Highest Level' to Remove Taliban from Terrorist List

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov shakes hands with Acting Foreign Minister of Afghanistan's Taliban movement Amir Khan Muttaqi during a meeting in Moscow, Russia, October 4, 2024. Russian Foreign Ministry/Handout via REUTERS
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov shakes hands with Acting Foreign Minister of Afghanistan's Taliban movement Amir Khan Muttaqi during a meeting in Moscow, Russia, October 4, 2024. Russian Foreign Ministry/Handout via REUTERS

Russia's Foreign Ministry said on Friday that a decision to remove the Taliban from a list of terrorist organizations had been "taken at the highest level", the state TASS news agency reported.
The decision needs to be followed up with various legal procedures in order to make it a reality, President Vladimir Putin's special representative on Afghanistan, Zamir Kabulov, was quoted as saying.
Putin said in July that Russia considered Afghanistan's Taliban movement an ally in the fight against terrorism.
Russia has been slowly building ties with the Taliban since it seized power in Afghanistan in August 2021 as US-led forces withdrew after 20 years of war but the movement is still officially outlawed in Russia.
No country has formally recognized the Taliban as the country's legitimate leadership.
Russia added the Taliban to its list of terrorist organizations in 2003. Removing it would be an important step by Moscow towards normalizing relations with Afghanistan.
The Taliban's acting foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi said in a speech in Moscow that recent decisions by Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan to remove the former insurgents from a list of banned groups was a welcome step.
"We also appreciate the positive remarks by the high-ranking officials of the Russian Federation in this regard and hope to see more effective steps soon," he said.
In separate comments on Friday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Moscow was convinced of the need to maintain "pragmatic dialogue" with the current Afghan government.
"It is obvious that it is impossible to solve problems or even discuss an Afghan settlement without Kabul," Lavrov said.
"Moscow will continue its course on developing political, trade and economic ties with Kabul," he added, speaking at a meeting in Moscow with Muttaqi and representatives of neighboring countries.
While he did not mention the Taliban by name, he praised the current Afghan leadership for its efforts to curb drug production and fight ISIS, which is outlawed in Russia.
Muttaqi said that countries in the region should cooperate against the ISIS group, which he said had established training centers outside Afghanistan.
Lavrov said the United States should return confiscated assets to Afghanistan and the West should acknowledge responsibility for the post-conflict reconstruction of the country.
Lavrov also called for an increase in humanitarian aid to Afghanistan, and said Russia would keep sending it food and essential goods.
Russia has a troubled history in Afghanistan, where the Soviet army invaded in 1979 to support a pro-Moscow government but withdrew 10 years later after sustaining heavy casualties at the hands of fighters.
Russia and its post-Soviet neighbors have suffered recurrent attacks from militant groups linked to Afghanistan - most recently in March, when 145 people were killed in an attack claimed by ISIS at a concert hall near Moscow.