South Sudan will sign Nile sharing agreement

[Xaaji Xunjuf]

South Sudan will sign Nile sharing agreement

South Sudan will be the seventh country to sign the agreement on sharing the Nile waters, which Egypt opposes

Ahram Online and MENA, Tuesday 18 Jun 2013

 

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South Sudan plans to sign an agreement that aims to replace colonial-era deals that awarded the lion's share of the Nile waters to Egypt and Sudan.

 

South Sudan's Minister of Irrigation and Water Resources Paul Mayom Akec described the signing of the Cooperative Framework Agreement of the Nile Basin countries, sometimes known as the Entebbe agreement, as "inevitable."

 

"The process of joining the agreement has started at all levels of the state apparatus in South Sudan," Akec stated in a press conference.

 

Akec confirmed that South Sudan will start implementing the agreement as soon as parliament ratifies it.

 

The state of South Sudan will benefit from the agreement by using the Nile River water to construct projects that will bring "prosperity and welfare to its citizens," according to Akec.

 

Akec's statement comes following a statement by Mohamed Bahaa Al-Din, the Egyptian Minister of Water and Irrigation, on the agreement. Al-Din stated last Sunday that the agreement is not binding on Egypt, as Egypt did not sign it. The only way Egypt will sign the agreement, according to Al-Din, is if a few points of contention are agreed upon. One of points, for Egypt, is that Egypt be given a decision-making position in the proposed Nile River Basin Commission.

 

Meanwhile, the Egyptian foreign minister met with his Ethiopian counterpart to discuss their recent row on a hydroelectric dam being constructed by Ethiopia. The dam will be the largest in the continent.

 

The Ethiopian parliament ratified the Cooperative Framework Agreement last week.

 

Ethiopia will be able, according to the agreement, to build developmental projects along the Nile without prior consent from Egypt.

 

In a joined statement, the Ethiopian and Egyptian foreign ministers decided on another round of talks between ministers and experts in a few weeks to further discuss the dam's effect, if any, on Egypt's Nile water share.

 

Six riparian countries have already signed the agreement: Ethiopia, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, Kenya and Burundi.

[Xaaji Xunjuf]

South Sudan backs Ethiopia’s Nile dam

 

June 14, 2013 (ADDIS ABABA) – The Governments of South Sudan has voiced support to a Ethiopia’s controversial Nile Dam project which the country is building along the Nile river, while Addis Ababa minimised Egyptian statements about war against Ethiopia.

 

South Sudanese chief negotiator expressed Thursday his country’s position on the construction of the Giant power plant being built some 30-40 Kilometers from Sudan border.

 

Speaking to Reporters in Addis Ababa, Pagan Amum, said Ethiopia dam project will benefit not only to Ethiopia but also to the current and future generations of Sudan and Egypt.

 

Ethiopia is currently exporting hydropower processes cheap Electricity to Djibouti and Sudan.

 

"Ethiopia has the right to use the Nile water in terms of generation of electricity, in terms of irrigation, and the way we see this development is that it is not affecting the interest of Sudan or Egypt", Amum said.

 

Newly independent South Sudan which recently became a new member to Nile basin countries has called on Egypt and Ethiopia to cooperate and engage in a dialogue to resolve Nile water Dispute.

 

After Ethiopia recently diverted the course of the Nile River, Egyptian politicians are suggesting sabotage including military action and supporting local rebels to destroy the Dam project.

 

Ethiopia’s communication Minister, Bereket Simon, said Friday that the threats from Egypt are only psychological feud that aimed to divert the Egyptians away from their internal political instability.

 

Simon Down played a potential of war with Egypt over Nile.

 

“Egypt doesn’t have firm and justified reason to go to war with Ethiopia” he said adding “even if they have the willing the question is do they have the capacity?’’

 

Bereket further stressed that military action will never solve disputes over Nile.

 

Last Wednesday Ugandan President Museveni in a national address at the parliament backed the construction of the Dam saying that African nations need such a hydro power plant to spur their economies and to generate clean energy as well as to curb deforestation practices aimed for fuel.

 

Museveni further warned Egypt to restrain from what he said was “the chauvinistic statements” coming out of Cairo in connection with Ethiopia’s $ 4.8 billion mega hydropower project which the north African nation fears could diminish its annual water share from Nile River.

 

"I have seen statements in the media coming out of the government of Egypt about the commendable work of Ethiopia. What Ethiopia is doing is what governments in Africa should do," he said.

 

Khartoum dissociated itself from Egypt and supported the Dam construction saying the three countries should work together to resolve minors problems mentioned in a report prepared by international experts including Egypt and Sudan.

 

ETHIOPIA RATIFIES NILE PACT

 

Ethiopia’s 547-member parliament on Thursday unanimously endorsed the new Nile River Cooperative Framework Agreement, making the horn of Africa’s nation the first country to ratify the agreement reached in Uganda in 2010.

 

The move comes after days of fierce verbal exchanges between Cairo and Addis Ababa that escalated tensions rising fears to a possible military confrontation.

 

The Entebbe agreement which was signed by four Nile basins aims to reverse a colonial-era agreement that has granted Sudan and Egypt lions share to the Rivers water resources of which over 85 % of it originate in Ethiopia.

 

Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, Kenya and Burundi are also signatories to the Framework Agreement legislatures of the countries are similarly expected to endorse the cooperative agreement.

 

At least six riparian countries have to ratify the agreement to overthrow the colonial era treaty Ethiopia-led other riparian countries argue that it has abandoned their right to equitable utilization of the water resources.

 

South Sudan has in the past announced plans to sign the cooperative framework agreement.

[Xaaji Xunjuf]

Rwanda Tanzania Uganda Kenya Burundi and now South Sudan to sign the Nile sharing agreement. Even sudan supports the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam but it wants an agreement it wants to create a win win situation. It seems its getting more difficult for Egypt to find allies in the region.