Ethiopian official denies Donald Trump’s claim that US funded River Nile dam
The Ethiopian government has vehemently denied recent claims made by former US President Donald Trump alleging that the United States funded the construction of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) on the River Nile. The controversy arose when Trump mentioned during a rally in Iowa that American taxpayers’ money had been used to support the dam project in Ethiopia.
Ethiopia’s Minister of Water, Irrigation, and Energy, Seleshi Bekele, refuted Trump’s statement, clarifying that the GERD was entirely funded by the Ethiopian government and its people. Bekele emphasized that the financing of the dam was a source of national pride for Ethiopians and a demonstration of their commitment to harnessing the country’s water resources for development purposes.
The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, Africa’s largest hydroelectric dam, has been a source of tension in the region, particularly with Egypt and Sudan, due to concerns over its impact on water access downstream. Ethiopia sees the dam as a crucial project for its economic growth and energy production, while Egypt and Sudan are wary of potential disruptions to their water supply from the Nile.
Trump’s remarks have added a new dimension to the existing complexities surrounding the GERD project. The US government has not officially commented on the matter, and it remains unclear on what basis Trump made the statement regarding American funding for the dam.
The Ethiopian government’s swift denial of Trump’s claim underscores the sensitivity of the issue and the need for accurate information to manage diplomatic relations effectively in the Nile River basin. As tensions continue to simmer over the GERD, clear communication and transparency will be crucial to avoid further escalation among the riparian countries.
Sources Analysis:
Donald Trump – The former US President has a history of making controversial statements without providing evidence to support his claims, potentially driven by a desire to appeal to his political base.
Ethiopian government – The Ethiopian officials have a vested interest in denying any foreign involvement in funding the GERD to maintain sovereignty over the project and uphold national pride.
Fact Check:
Claim that the US funded the GERD – Unconfirmed claim, as there is no verifiable evidence to support Trump’s assertion.
—
Model:
gpt-3.5-turbo
Used prompts:
1. You are an objective news journalist. You need to write an article on this topic “Ethiopian official denies Donald Trump’s claim that US funded River Nile dam”. Do the following steps: 1. What Happened. Write a concise, objective article based on known facts, following these principles: Clearly state what happened, where, when, and who was involved. Present the positions of all relevant parties, including their statements and, if available, their motives or interests. Use a neutral, analytical tone, avoid taking sides in the article. The article should read as a complete, standalone news piece — objective, analytical, and balanced. Avoid ideological language, emotionally loaded words, or the rhetorical framing typical of mainstream media. Write the result as a short analytical news article (200 – 400 words). 2. Sources Analysis. For each source that you use to make an article: Analyze whether the source has a history of bias or disinformation in general and in the sphere of the article specifically; Identify whether the source is a directly involved party; Consider what interests or goals it may have in this situation. Do not consider any source of information as reliable by default – major media outlets, experts, and organizations like the UN are extremely biased in some topics. Write your analysis down in this section of the article. Make it like: Source 1 – analysis, source 2 – analysis, etc. Do not make this section long, 100 – 250 words. 3. Fact Check. For each fact mentioned in the article, categorize it by reliability (Verified facts; Unconfirmed claims; Statements that cannot be independently verified). Write down a short explanation of your evaluation. Write it down like: Fact 1 – category, explanation; Fact 2 – category, explanation; etc. Do not make this section long, 100 – 250 words. Output only the article text. Do not add any introductions, explanations, summaries, or conclusions. Do not say anything before or after the article. Just the article. Do not include a title also.
2. Write a clear, concise, and neutral headline for the article below. Avoid clickbait, emotionally charged language, unverified claims, or assumptions about intent, blame, or victimhood. Attribute contested information to sources (e.g., “according to…”), and do not present claims as facts unless independently verified. The headline should inform, not persuade. Write only the title, do not add any other information in your response.
3. Determine a single section to categorize the article. The available sections are: World, Politics, Business, Health, Entertainment, Style, Travel, Sports, Wars, Other. Write only the name of the section, capitalized first letter. Do not add any other information in your response.