Overview

• Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed opened the GERD at Guba/Bameza, joined by regional leaders including Kenya’s William Ruto and Somalia’s Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, as drones and light displays marked the event.
• The hydropower complex is designed for roughly 5,000–5,150 MW with a 74 billion cubic‑metre reservoir, stands about 145 metres high and nearly 2 kilometres wide, and was financed largely domestically, with about 91% from the central bank and the rest from bonds and public contributions.
• Egypt denounces the project as an existential threat and says it will take measures under international law to safeguard its water security, while Sudan presses for day‑to‑day coordination because of immediate operational and safety risks.
• Independent research reports no major downstream flow disruptions so far, citing favourable rainfall and Ethiopia’s phased wet‑season filling since 2020.
• Ethiopia frames the dam as a regional opportunity, highlighting potential flood control in Sudan and power exports, although weak transmission networks mean many rural Ethiopians will not see immediate gains.