Ethiopia PM visits GERD site, heads to Sudan on official visit

Ethiopia PM Abiy Ahmed has visited the Grand Ethiopia Rennaissance Dam (GERD) site. The PM was accompanied by his deputy Demeke Mekonnen and other top government officials on the trip.

The entourage were given an update on work at the facility being built in the Benishangul Gumuz regional state. They were conducted around by manager of the project Engineer Simegne Bekele, the state run Fana broadcasting corporate said.

The report added that the Prime Minister is expected to hold discussion with representatives of residents of the Benishangul Gumuz regional state in the capital city of Asossa.

#Ethiopia – In #Asosa , PM #AbiyAhmed took aim at Ethiopia's polarized (& vitriolic) use of social media & said the world has twice as much social media users as the people of Ethiopia; but, he said, the kind of polarization that exists in Ethiopia doesn't exist elsewhere. pic.twitter.com/NJyMB0vKLu

— Addis Standard (@addisstandard) May 1, 2018

Abiy is expected to fly to neighbouring Sudan for a two-day official visit starting May 2 (exactly a month after he took office.)

During his visit to Khartoum, he is expected to hold talks with President Omar al-Bashir and with the Sudanese vice-president Hassabo Abdel-Rahman, the Sudan Tribune reported.

It will be the second time Abiy is meeting Bashir, the two met in Ethiopian city of Bahir Dar in April on the sidelines of the 2018 Tana Forum.

The Sudan visit comes days after he returned from his first trip abroad, he spent last weekend in Djibouti where he met with president Omar Guelleh and also addressed the Djiboutian parliament. Talks between the two leaders also centered on economic cooperation between the two countries.

It seems PM Abiy Ahmed gave priority to nehibouring countries on his yet to be unveiled foriegn policy. He spent 2 days in Dijibouti over the weekend & will travel to Sudan tomorrow, May 2. On his 2 days long visit, he will talk with President Omar Al-Bashir & have a field visit. pic.twitter.com/1luqnNZ7E6

— Tesfalem Waldyes (@tesfalemw) May 1, 2018