A regional partnership of 10 countries has announced that an agreement on the equitable use of water resources from the Nile River basin has officially come into force, despite notable opposition from Egypt. The legal status of the 'cooperative framework' was formally confirmed by the African Union after South Sudan joined the treaty, as reported by the Nile Basin Initiative.
Five countries, including Ethiopia, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, and Tanzania, have ratified the accord. However, Egypt and Sudan chose not to sign, while Congo abstained. Kenya is yet to deposit its ratification documents with the African Union.
The accord, which took effect on Sunday, is seen as a significant step towards harnessing the Nile River for the benefit of all riparian countries, ensuring its equitable and sustainable use for future generations. The Nile Basin Initiative commended the governments and people of the Nile riparian countries, as well as all partners and stakeholders, for their dedication to this cause.
The absence of ratification by Egypt and Sudan, both desert nations with concerns about potential reductions in their shares of Nile water, is expected to spark controversy. Tensions in the region have escalated, partly due to Ethiopia's construction of a $4 billion dam on the Blue Nile, a major tributary of the Nile River. Egypt is apprehensive about the dam's impact on downstream water and irrigation supplies unless Ethiopia considers its needs. Ethiopia intends to use the dam for electricity generation.
The accord's rights clause stipulates that Nile basin states must utilize the water resources of the Nile River system in an equitable and reasonable manner within their territories. The Nile, stretching 6,695 kilometers (4160 miles), is the world's longest river, with the White Nile originating in South Sudan and the Blue Nile in Ethiopia.
Amid the dispute with Ethiopia, Egypt has strengthened its position in the Horn of Africa by pledging security cooperation with Somalia, which opposes Ethiopia's attempts to access the sea via Somaliland. An agreement reached last week allows Egypt to deploy peacekeeping troops to Somalia after the African Union peacekeeping mandate expires in 2024.
Egypt, a founding member of the Nile Basin Initiative, has historically asserted its rights to Nile water based on a colonial-era agreement with the United Kingdom. The 1929 agreement allocated downstream Egypt 55.5 billion cubic meters and Sudan 18.5 billion cubic meters of the total 84 billion cubic meters, with 10 billion lost to evaporation. This agreement did not consider the interests of other nations along the river basin seeking a more equitable accord.
