New Nile treaty adopted despite Egypt and Sudan opposition
Image via WikipediaFailure by Egypt and Sudan to come up with a common stand during the Nile Council of Ministers’ assembly in Kinshasa, DR Congo, frustrated their attempts to block a new pact to govern the use of River Nile waters. To the disappointment of the two downstream countries, the pact was adopted and will soon be signed and ratified by Nile Basin governments.
This paves the way for establishment of a permanent River-Basin Commission to implement development projects.
Egypt and Sudan had asked for “historical rights and uses” of the river to be recognised through placement of an article in the new pact. But other Nile Basin countries — Burundi, DR Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda — had not agreed on this.
The controversial article 14 in the draft pact reads, “Nile Basin states, therefore, in a spirit of co-operation, agree:
a) to work together to ensure that all states achieve and sustain water security,
b) not to significantly affect the water security of any other Nile basin state.”Egypt and Sudan want part b) of the article to read, “Not to adversely affect the water security “and current uses and rights” of any other Nile basin state.”
The other countries declined this proposal to guarantee a more liberal regime of water use for future economic programmes. These include large irrigation schemes already planned and awaiting implementation in Ethiopia and Tanzania. The two countries plan to draw water from River Nile and its feeders for irrigation. This could affect the amount of water flowing to Sudan and Egypt.
NBI is on an ambitious campaign to secure funds for development projects in the sub region. Some of the investments in East Africa include; a hydro electricity plant at Rusumo Falls for Rwanda, Tanzania and Burundi; water management facilities in Malaba for Kenya; water hyacinth control in Kagera region (Uganda) for Burundi, Tanzania, Rwanda and Uganda; and a fisheries improvement project on Lake Albert for Uganda and DRC.
Excerpted from an article by Malingha Doya for The East African
