Somalia’s president says GERD power can foster continental partnership  

ADDIS ABABA, Sept. 9 — Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud expressed hope that the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) and the electricity it generates will mark the start of a brotherly, neighborly, and continental partnership.

Speaking at the inauguration of the GERD alongside African leaders on Tuesday, President Mohamud called on countries in the region to unite around their shared responsibility to manage, share, and benefit from resources that sustain national prosperity.

“It is a privilege to be here at a moment that brings together the people of this region around an issue of common importance: how we manage, share, and benefit from resources that sustain our nations’ prosperity,” he said.

He added, “This gathering is not about the success of a single project, but about a shared responsibility. Water and natural resources cross borders, binding our destinies and future together. Development in this region must be guided not by competition, but by cooperation.”

Mohamud said he hoped the dam and the power it generates would serve as a beginning of a greater partnership across the continent.

“When our people are united across borders, we can achieve what was once considered impossible. Upstream and downstream nations alike can only prosper when we act as a community,” he said.

“No nation should feel excluded, and no nation should bear the burden alone. Today’s inauguration reminds us that our true achievement lies in partnership, in sustaining trust, and in building unity for generations to come,” Mohamud added.

He concluded by saying that if the region has shared its challenges and sacrifices, there is no reason it cannot share the resources that sustain life and prosperity.

GAROWE ONLINE