ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed announced Thursday to lawmakers that the country will inaugurate the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) within six months, a significant milestone for the massive hydropower project on the Nile River.

The GERD, under construction since 2011, has been a point of contention for Nile basin countries. Ethiopia announced last September the completion of the fourth and final filling of the dam's reservoir, a move criticized by Egypt as a violation of international law.

Negotiations with Ethiopia, Egypt and Sudan have been ongoing but have yet to yield a comprehensive agreement on the dam's operation.

Abiy told parliament that he greenlighted the current interim administration of Tigray to remain in place despite internal divisions.

The Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), a party that fought the federal government, has been led by an interim administration formed after the Pretoria Agreement was signed that ended a two-year internal conflict in northern Ethiopia.

The TPLF has recently faced internal splits, with some factions reportedly involved in an internal power struggle described by observers as a "local coup."

Addressing regional tensions, Abiy dismissed the prospect of war with Eritrea over a disputed sea access issue, emphasizing cooperation versus conflict.

"What the people of Eritrea need is development. Our plan is to grow and work together, not to fight one another," he told lawmakers.