Nile Dam Features Prominently During Eid Celebrations In Ethiopia

Ethiopian Muslims held up slogans expressing their commitment to support and safeguard the $5 billion hydro dam on the Nile the Horn of Africa nation has been building near its border with Sudan.

Muslims in the capital Addis Ababa turned out in their hundreds of thousands for Eid prayers.

"Ethiopian Muslims along with their compatriots are fully behind the second filling of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam," said Sheikh Sultan Aman, president of the Addis Ababa Islamic Affairs Supreme Council.

They carried slogans that read: "It's my dam," "We'll make sacrifices in defense of GERD," "Ethiopia won't ask permission to use its own resource," "Abbay (a.k.a. the Blue Nile) is the gift from Allah."

Speaking on the occasion, Ethiopian Islamic Affairs Supreme Council President Hajji Mufti Umer Idriss said the River Abbay is a gift from Allah, and Ethiopians will use it to extricate themselves from poverty.

Ethiopia broke ground for the construction of the dam in 2011. The country already impounded 4.9 billion cubic meters last year and with a planned further filling of 13.4 billion cubic meters in July and August – an amount that would enable the country to test two of the 16 turbines.

Egypt and Sudan have ratcheted up pressure against Ethiopia, saying a comprehensive agreement is needed before Ethiopia fills up its dam.

A 2015 Declaration of Principles the three countries signed gives Ethiopia the prerogative to fill the dam's reservoir while engaging in dialogue with the lower riparian countries. More than 85% waters of the Nile originate from the Ethiopian highlands.

Earlier this week, thousands of Muslims took to one of the main streets in the city for a record-breaking mass iftar (sunset meal during Ramadan), which they celebrated holding Ethiopia's tricolor flag of green, gold and red. -