Addis Ababa, Ethiopia – Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has welcomed the inauguration of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), describing it as a milestone project with the potential to strengthen cooperation and solidarity across Africa.
Speaking at the launch ceremony on Tuesday alongside fellow African leaders, President Mohamud said the dam’s electricity output offers more than just power—it represents an opportunity to deepen brotherhood, good neighborliness, and shared progress in the Horn of Africa and beyond.
He urged regional countries to approach the GERD as a collective resource, one that must be jointly managed and equitably utilized for the prosperity of all. By fostering collaboration in energy sharing and sustainable resource management, he said, the dam could help unlock economic opportunities that benefit entire populations, not just individual states.
“The GERD marks a historic moment for Africa,” he noted, underscoring that sustainable development requires unity, trust, and commitment to common goals. He stressed that the continent’s future lies in harnessing natural resources responsibly and ensuring they become engines of stability and growth rather than points of contention.
The GERD, Africa’s largest hydroelectric project, is seen as a symbol of Ethiopia’s national pride and regional ambition. While it has been the subject of diplomatic disputes, especially with downstream nations, President Mohamud’s remarks reflect a vision of cooperation rather than conflict.
For Somalia, a nation rebuilding from decades of instability, the project also represents a reminder that shared infrastructure and joint initiatives can play a pivotal role in advancing regional integration and peace.