Monday September 8, 2025
Mogadishu (HOL) — Ethiopia’s Ambassador to Somalia, Suleiman
Dedefo, has accused the Arab League of siding with Egypt in its opposition to
the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), questioning the bloc’s credibility
and purpose.
In a post on X, formerly Twitter, Dedefo criticized the Arab
League for what he described as its fixation on Ethiopia’s water projects while
ignoring crises within its own member states.
“Is the Arab League really a League of Arab Nations, or the
League for execution of Egypt’s anti-Ethiopian policy?” he wrote, adding that
the organization “badly exposed itself that it doesn’t represent the rest of
Arab nations.”
“What legal or moral ground does the “Arab League” have to
threaten Ethiopia on behalf of Egypt and instruct Ethiopia to apply for
permission to utilize its own resources?,” the ambassador wrote.
Ethiopia inaugurated the GERD in September 2025, with Prime
Minister Abiy Ahmed hailing it as a symbol of national renewal and a driver of
regional development. The project — Africa’s largest dam — has drawn fierce
opposition from Egypt and Sudan, which fear it could reduce their share of Nile
waters.
The diplomatic spat comes as regional leaders, including
Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, gather in Addis Ababa for a climate
summit. While Ethiopia has framed Mohamud’s visit as linked to the summit, some
reports suggest he may also attend the GERD inauguration ceremony.