Addis Abeba — Former Defense Minister and ex-President of Oromia Regional State, Lemma Megerssa, has extended his congratulations to Ethiopians on the completion of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), while simultaneously issuing a heartfelt call for peace.
In a letter verified by Addis Standard dated 09 September 2025, Lemma hailed the GERD as "a historic dam where every Ethiopian, from young to old, from poor to rich, has left their mark by contributing what they could to its construction. It is a symbol of our unity."
He added that beyond its direct economic and social benefits, the dam embodies a lesson of national solidarity. "What makes this dam historic, beyond the direct benefits we get from it, is that all Ethiopians became one, and in their unity, they dared to do what was considered impossible. This shows that when we cooperate and become one, there is no wonderful and vibrant history that Ethiopians cannot create. The Renaissance Dam is a living testament to this century."
Lemma, a former close ally of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, urged Ethiopians to safeguard this unity as the foundation for future victories: "all Ethiopians must realize that our unity is always the foundation of our victory and must protect and strengthen it for a better Ethiopia tomorrow."
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However, alongside his words of celebration, he issued a sobering reminder of the country's ongoing conflict-related challenges. "We must also pause and think about the daily loss of our citizens' lives, the spilled blood, and the weeping Ethiopian mothers. In short, we must collectively put an end to the issues affecting our country's peace and security."
Lemma Megerssa, once a close ally of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, played a pivotal role during the Oromo protests and was elected President of Oromia Regional State in 2016 in the peak of the protests. But was also doubling as party chairman of then Oromo People's Democratic Organization. He stepped down as chairman of the OPDO, a decision that eventually pave ways for Abiy to assume premiership. Lemma later became Defense Minister in 2019.
But in late 2019, Lemma publicly broke ranks with Abiy, declaring that he did not support the Prime Minister's "Medemer" philosophy or the merger of the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) into the Prosperity Party, calling it "wrong" and "not the time for it."
By August 2020, Lemma was placed under house arrest, a move confirmed to Addis Standard by multiple sources at the time. His office was searched by federal police, and he was effectively sidelined from politics.
In subsequent years, Lemma left Ethiopia and lived in Rome, where he worked as a consultant for the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) until a few months ago.
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His 09 September statement marks a rare public message since his political fallout.
