Treaty denying Egypt Nile veto set for ratification

[Jacaylbaro]

By KAMPALA (AFP)

 

Burundi has signed a deal on the sharing of Nile waters, paving the way for the ratification of the accord, which will strip Egypt of its veto power on rights to the river, an official said Tuesday.

 

"After Burundi signed (Monday), now the agreement can come into force," Daniel Meboya, regional spokesman at the Entebbe-based Nile Basin Initiative (NBI) that led the negotiations, told AFP in Kampala.

 

Meboya said that according to relevant international law, six of the negotiating parties needed to sign before the treaty could be ratified by the riparian countries' respective parliaments. All six parliaments are expected to ratify the deal.

 

Last year, after a decade of talks, four Nile nations inked a deal that allowed upstream countries to implement irrigation and hydropower projects without first seeking Egypt's approval.

 

For decades, Egypt held veto rights over all upstream projects, following powers granted by a 1929 colonial-era treaty with Britain.

 

Egypt's subsequent 1959 deal with Sudan gave the two downstream countries more than 90 percent control of Nile waters.

 

Egypt and Sudan boycotted the ceremony where the new treaty was unveiled, and vowed not to recognize any deal agreed without their consent.

 

At the March 2010 ceremony, Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania and Ethiopia agreed to scrap both Egypt's veto rights and the 90 percent control provision.

 

The signing ceremony marked the close of negotiations, and the other affected countries, including Kenya, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo were given one year to ink the deal.

 

Kenya signed last May and Burundi signed Monday, the last possible day for signature.

 

"Now it is for the six individual legislatures to ratify the treaty," Meboya said.

 

Egypt and Sudan have argued their water supply would be dangerously reduced if upstream countries are able to divert the river flow without multi-lateral consultation.

[Leezu]

This will most definetly only benefit Ethiopia which has 85% of the Nile so Uganda, Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Tanzania wont really get much of this deal. Or?

[Jacaylbaro]

If Egypt had been benefiting 90% of the Nile for more than 60 years ....... let the others enjoy some benefits.

[AfricaOwn]

Ethiopia is definitely the biggest winners.

[London2010]

Very good news. Let the arabs rot in hell.

[AfricaOwn]

^Indeed, let them all rot in hell.

[Xaaji Xunjuf]

London2010;724256 wrote:

Very good news. Let the arabs rot in hell.

:D:D

[Jacaylbaro]

Egypt loses monopoly over Nile waters

 

 

Egypt’s control over the Nile waters came to an end last week, paving the way for development projects upstream of the river.

 

In a ceremony in Kampala last week, six countries ratified the Cooperation Framework Agreement (CFA) that repeals the colonial treaty of 1929.

 

The World Bank Trust, which manages the Nile Basin resources, had been blocking development projects along the river because the Nile Basin Initiative (NBI) lacked legal basis, which the CFA now provides.

 

“As long as we do not have the CFA, Egypt and Sudan will continue to block development, because NBI has no legal recognition in other countries,” said Dr Callist Tindimugaya, Uganda’s Nile Basin Initiative representative and also Commissioner of Water Resources Regulation at the Ministry of Water and Environment.

 

The colonial treaty barred other countries from using the water for development purposes that could impact on water flowing to Egypt.

 

In 1959, however, Egypt and Sudan, renegotiated the treaty and came up with the Full Utilisation of Nile Water Agreement, which allowed the construction of the Aswan High Dam in Egypt for mutual benefit of both countries.

 

“Without consent of Egypt, no irrigation or hydroelectric works can be established on the tributaries of the Nile or their lakes if such works can cause a drop in water levels harmful to Egypt,” reads the section in the 1929 treaty.

 

The breakaway group of riparian countries — Burundi, Kenya, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Uganda and Tanzania—undertook technical audits that culminated in the CFA last year.

 

In February this year, Burundi became the sixth nation to sign up to the agreement to alter the historical water-sharing arrangements for the River Nile, thus raising sufficient numbers to move the process towards ratification.

 

Egypt, Sudan and DRC did not sign, while Eritrea maintains observer status.

 

The organisation’s name changed from Nile Basin Initiative to Nile Basin Commission with headquarters in Uganda.

 

The CFA provides for sharing of benefits and costs of maintaining the river.

 

The Regional Interconnection Project — a $385 million power project expected to be completed in 2014 — is one of the development programmes that are expected to generate cross border electricity for the benefit of all countries.

 

The East African

[Xaaji Xunjuf]

^^ Great news

[Som@li]

What will Egypt do? I hope they walk the talk, and start full war with Ethiopia, instead the proxy war using Somalia.

[Jacaylbaro]

The recent ONLF attacks on Ethiopian targets could say something about this ..............

[Som@li]

^yes,

[Xaaji Xunjuf]

Somalis Will not fight an Egyptian war the sane Somalis will not.

[NGONGE]

Not a done deal yet. Zenawi promised the Egyptians that the treaty will not be ratified until after the elections in Egypt. In the meantime, he accepted an invitation to visit Egypt and there have been lots of diplomatic activity between the two countries and other Nile countries (The Burundi foriegn minister was in Cairo two days ago).

[nuune]

Burundi, Burundi, ooh, they became famous already, thanks to Somalia, Burundi was nowhere mentioned in international affairs, Somalia made many countries famous, even Uganda is becoming the super-power of Africa, again, thanks to Somalia, we have done so much for many countries and international organizations, without Somalia, where would these countries & NGOs stand!