Field and river

20th International Conference of Ethiopian Studies (ICES20)
Mekelle University, Ethiopia

"Regional and Global Ethiopia - Interconnections and Identities"
1-5 October, 2018

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GERD: RESHAPING DIASPORA AND OROMO ENGAGEMENT WITH THE STATE DEVELOPMENT PLANS [Abstract ID: 0602-08]

Abeer R.Y. ABAZEED, Faculty of Governance and Global Affairs - Leiden University, The Netherlands

The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) is a critical fact that has reshaped not only the trans-boundary politics in the Nile but also the relation between the state and society inside Ethiopia. The GERD is a key component in economic transition because water is an initial natural resource to generate energy for strategic development plans. Based on the potential energy and irrigated agriculture that will be attained after the dam construction, the government has mobilized its diaspora community to purchase bonds issued for the dam. Furthermore, the government formed the 'National Council for the Coordination of Public Participation on the Construction of the Grand Renaissance Dam' to manage the involvement of diaspora. On the contrary, Oromo ethnic group has added the GERD issue in their contention with the Ethiopian government. Particularly, Oromo refugees who are based in Cairo took a position against the dam which made the relation between Egypt and Ethiopia more complicated. The research will attempt to explore how GERD is a double-edged sword: one leads to reconnect the state with society (diaspora) and the second one disconnects the relation (Oromo).