Ethiopia prepared to inaugurate Africa's largest hydroelectric project on Tuesday that has promised to revolutionise the country's energy sector but that has sparked diplomatic rows with downstream neighbours.
For Ethiopia, the Grand Renaissance Dam (GERD) is a national project of historic scale and a rare unifying symbol in a country torn apart by ongoing internal conflicts.
Towering 145 metres high and stretching nearly two kilometres across the Blue Nile near the Sudanese border, the $4 billion megastructure is designed to hold 74 billion cubic metres of water and generate 5,000 megawatts of electricity -- more than double Ethiopia's current capacity.
The festivities began late Monday with a dazzling display of lanterns, lasers and drones writing slogans like "geopolitical rise" and "a leap into the future", watched by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed who has made the project a cornerstone of his rule.
