25 C
Nairobi
November 3, 2024
Water Conflicts and Cooperation Water Rights and Governance

Yesterday, Egypt urged the Nile Basin countries to reconsider the Cooperative Framework Agreement (CFA), also known as the Entebbe Agreement, which sets out guidelines for the management and development of the Nile Basin. While upstream countries such as Ethiopia, Rwanda, South Sudan, Uganda, Tanzania, and the Democratic Republic of Congo have signed the agreement, Egypt and Sudan have rejected it.

Speaking at a water event in Cairo, Irrigation Minister Hani Sewilam called on the signatories of the Entebbe Agreement to rethink their stance and return to negotiations, emphasizing the importance of cooperation that protects all riparian countries. He noted that Egypt’s stance aligns with international river agreements and is fair.

Sewilam underscored that the discussions should involve all parties without sidelining any country’s interests. He also highlighted Egypt’s inadequate water supply, affirming that Egypt would not compromise on its share of Nile water and continues to reject the CFA in its current form.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi reiterated the critical nature of preserving Egypt’s water resources, noting that the Nile supplies over 98% of the country’s water. The CFA marks the first multilateral effort among the Nile Basin states to establish a legal framework for managing the river, but tensions, particularly between Egypt and Ethiopia, persist. Ethiopia’s Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) on the Blue Nile remains a contentious issue, with Ethiopia viewing it as essential for development, while Egypt considers it a threat to its water share and insists on a binding agreement regarding its operation.

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