Ethiopia: PM Abiy Shoots Down Trump's GERD Funding Claims

3 February 2026
The Reporter (Addis Ababa)
By Ashenafi Endale

- "Ethiopia did not borrow or receive a penny to finance GERD."

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (PhD) has refuted claims from Donald Trump that the US funded the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), telling members of Parliament that "Ethiopia did not borrow or receive a penny to finance GERD."

He affirmed that the dam was constructed using finance mobilized by the public, setting the record straight on baseless claims from Trump, who has repeatedly stated that the US funded the dam, which was inaugurated last September.

Most recently, at the World Economic Forum, Trump framed the dam as a "very dangerous issue," claimed it hindered Nile River flow and offered to mediate between Ethiopia and Egypt.

From The Reporter Magazine

Read the original article on Reporter.

Tagged:
Copyright © 2026 The Reporter. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.

AllAfrica publishes around 500 reports a day from more than 80 news organizations and over 500 other institutions and individuals, representing a diversity of positions on every topic. We publish news and views ranging from vigorous opponents of governments to government publications and spokespersons. Publishers named above each report are responsible for their own content, which AllAfrica does not have the legal right to edit or correct.

Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica. To address comments or complaints, please Contact us.