KAMPALA, Uganda — A coalition of ten nations in the region has announced that a new agreement concerning fair utilization of water resources from the Nile River basin is now in effect, despite strong opposition from Egypt.
The African Union has officially recognized the legal status of this “cooperative framework” following South Sudan’s accession to the treaty, according to a statement released by the Nile Basin Initiative on Sunday.
Ethiopia, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, and Tanzania have ratified the agreement, while Egypt and Sudan have chosen not to sign it. The Democratic Republic of Congo abstained from signing, and Kenya has yet to submit its ratification documents to the African Union.
The initiative, which commenced on Sunday, highlights the collective resolve to utilize the Nile River sustainably and equitably for the benefit of all riparian nations and future generations.
In their announcement, the Nile Basin Initiative congratulated the governments and citizens of countries alongside the Nile for their perseverance, commitment, and continued effort towards this collaborative endeavor.
However, the absence of ratification from Egypt and Sudan—which have raised alarms about any potential reduction of their allocated shares of Nile water—signals that the agreement may be contentious.
Regional tensions have been exacerbated, particularly due to Ethiopia’s ongoing construction of a massive $4 billion dam on the Blue Nile, a significant tributary of the Nile River. Egypt has expressed concerns that this dam could severely impact its downstream water and irrigation supplies unless Ethiopia considers Egypt’s water needs. Ethiopia, on the other hand, intends to use the dam for essential electricity generation.
A key provision of the accord states that countries within the Nile basin “shall in their respective territories utilize the water resources of the Nile River system in an equitable and reasonable manner.”
The Nile River spans a remarkable 6,695 kilometers (4,160 miles), making it the longest river globally. Its tributaries include the White Nile, which begins in South Sudan, and the Blue Nile, which originates from Ethiopia.
In light of tensions with Ethiopia, Egypt has seemingly intensified its diplomatic efforts in the Horn of Africa, engaging in security partnerships with Somalia, which is countering Ethiopia’s attempts to gain maritime access via the disputed territory of Somaliland. Under a recent agreement, Egypt is poised to send peacekeeping forces to Somalia after the current African Union peacekeeping mission concludes at the end of 2024.
There has been no immediate response from Egypt regarding the newly enacted Nile agreement. As a founding member of the Nile Basin Initiative, Egypt has historically maintained its entitlement to Nile water based on a colonial-era accord.
This agreement, reached in cooperation with the United Kingdom, allocated the majority of Nile water rights to Egypt and Sudan, with Egypt entitled to 55.5 billion cubic meters and Sudan to 18.5 billion cubic meters from a total of 84 billion cubic meters, accounting for 10 billion cubic meters lost to evaporation.
Initially signed in 1929, this arrangement neglected the interests of other nations along the river basin, many of which have been advocating for a more just agreement.