US Senator Bob Menendez, who has been active in US politics for the past 40 years and is currently the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, has been accused of corruption.
The allegations suggest that Menendez accepted bribes from Egyptian authorities to pressure Ethiopia regarding the construction of the Great Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).
Menendez, of Cuban descent, began his political career as the mayor of Union City, New Jersey, before joining the U.S.
House of Representatives as a member of the Democratic Party and later ascended to the Senate, where he has served since 2006.
In the spring of 2020, former US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo played a significant role in the tripartite negotiations involving Ethiopia, Egypt, and Sudan over the GERD.
These negotiations, held in Washington D.C., were aimed at resolving the disputes surrounding the dam’s construction and operation.
According to reports from Voice of America (VOA), Menendez allegedly accepted a substantial bribe from Egyptian officials to influence these negotiations.
The leaders of Ethiopia, Egypt, and Sudan engaged in discussions about the GERD, with former President Donald Trump bringing the negotiations to Washington.
During these talks, Ethiopia faced significant pressure to reach an agreement. Despite this, Ethiopia’s then-Foreign Minister announced the country’s decision not to sign the proposed agreement, maintaining Ethiopia’s stance on the dam’s construction and operation.
Menendez and his wife, Nadine Menendez, have been found guilty of various corruption charges, with sentencing scheduled for October 2024.
Despite his claims of innocence, Menendez is under pressure to resign following his conviction.
Meanwhile, Ethiopia has made substantial progress on the GERD, with the project now 95% complete.
The National Council for Public Participation Coordinating Office of the GERD recently announced that, after 13 years of construction, 98.9% of the dam’s civil works are finished, and the electro-mechanical works are nearing completion.
Currently, the GERD is generating 540 megawatts of electricity with two turbines, and once completed, it is expected to produce a total of 5,150 megawatts.
The dam holds 42 billion cubic meters of water, a figure that is anticipated to rise to 74 billion cubic meters upon the project’s completion.
The Ethiopian government, along with public contributions, has significantly invested in the GERD, raising over 643 million birr from citizens in the past six months alone.
From April 2003 to January 2024, a total of 19 billion birr has been collected through domestic and foreign donations, bond sales, and miscellaneous income. However, an estimated 60 billion birr is still needed to finalize the construction.
Project Manager Engineer Kefle Horo stated that electro-mechanical installations are ongoing, and the dam is currently operational with two units. “In the coming months, five additional units will commence power generation, bringing the total to seven units,” he added.
The GERD has faced opposition from Egypt and Sudan since its announcement in 2003. Despite 13 years of tripartite negotiations yielding no results, Ethiopia remains determined to complete the dam.
Egypt blames Ethiopia for the stalled talks, while Ethiopia argues that Egypt’s reliance on colonial-era agreements is outdated and unjust.
