Nile treaty set for ratification
1 March, 2011 | By Ben Simon (AFP)
--------------------------------------------------------------------
"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.
Burundi has now joined Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania, Ethiopia and
Kenya in agreeing to the deal, which seeks to strip Egypt of its long-
held rights to the Nile.
Now that six Nile countries have signed the accord, the country's
parliaments can move forward with ratification of the deal, Meboya
said.
All six parliaments are expected to ratify the Cooperative Framework
Agreement, which is then expected to create the Nile Basin
Commission, a body that will decide on river projects in the region.
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 recognise any deal agreed without their
consent.
At the May 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 shortly after the ceremony and Burundi signed on
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 multilateral consultation.
While the upstream nations refused to reopen negotiations, as Egypt
requested, the NBI had scheduled an extraordinary meeting in
January to help ease Egypt's concerns about the pact.
That meeting, according to Meboya, was cancelled due to the uprising
in Egypt, but is slated to take place in Nairobi later this month.
Eritrea and south Sudan were allowed to observe the protracted Nile
Basin process, but were not recognised as negotiating parties.
The 6,700-kilometre Nile River is a confluence of the White Nile,
whose source is Lake Victoria in east Africa, and the Blue Nile that
springs from the Ethiopian highlands.
Egypt's 80 million inhabitants draw about 90 percent of their water
needs from the Nile. Cairo maintains that, even by the favourable
terms of current agreements, its water needs cannot be met by the
Nile alone after 2017.
Courtesy
1 March, 2011 | By Ben Simon (AFP)
--------------------------------------------------------------------
- KAMPALA — Egypt
is set to lose its veto
power on rights to Nile
waters after Burundi
signed a deal paving
the way for the
ratification of a new
treaty on the great
river, an official said on
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.
Burundi has now joined Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania, Ethiopia and
Kenya in agreeing to the deal, which seeks to strip Egypt of its long-
held rights to the Nile.
Now that six Nile countries have signed the accord, the country's
parliaments can move forward with ratification of the deal, Meboya
said.
All six parliaments are expected to ratify the Cooperative Framework
Agreement, which is then expected to create the Nile Basin
Commission, a body that will decide on river projects in the region.
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 recognise any deal agreed without their
consent.
At the May 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 shortly after the ceremony and Burundi signed on
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 multilateral consultation.
While the upstream nations refused to reopen negotiations, as Egypt
requested, the NBI had scheduled an extraordinary meeting in
January to help ease Egypt's concerns about the pact.
That meeting, according to Meboya, was cancelled due to the uprising
in Egypt, but is slated to take place in Nairobi later this month.
Eritrea and south Sudan were allowed to observe the protracted Nile
Basin process, but were not recognised as negotiating parties.
The 6,700-kilometre Nile River is a confluence of the White Nile,
whose source is Lake Victoria in east Africa, and the Blue Nile that
springs from the Ethiopian highlands.
Egypt's 80 million inhabitants draw about 90 percent of their water
needs from the Nile. Cairo maintains that, even by the favourable
terms of current agreements, its water needs cannot be met by the
Nile alone after 2017.
Courtesy
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