Egypt extends olive branch in Nile river row
27 July, 2010 | By Barry Malone (Reuters)
------------------------------------------------------------------
KAMPALA (Reuters) - Egypt sounded a conciliatory note on
Monday in a dispute over how Nile waters should be shared by the
countries it passes through at an African summit in the Ugandan
capital Kampala.
their northern neighbours.
The five signatories have given the other Nile Basin countries --
Egypt, Sudan, Burundi and Democratic Republic of the Congo --
one year to join the pact but the countries have been torn by behind-
the-scenes debate since the signing.
"There are no strategic differences between us," Egyptian Prime
Minister Ahmed Nazif told reporters at the summit. "The issue is
only on some technical points that need resolution. The purpose of
the Nile Basin agreements is development."
The words mark a softening of the Egyptian position since a meeting
of water ministers from the nine countries last month in the Ethiopian
capital, Addis Ababa.
"Ask the Egyptians to leave their culture and go and live in the
desert because you need to take this water and to add it to other
countries? No," Egyptian Water Minister Mohamed Nasreddin
Allam told Reuters at that meeting.
The Nile, stretching more than 6,600 km (4,100 miles) from Lake
Victoria to the Mediterranean, is a vital water and energy source for
the countries through which it flows.
Egyptian state news agency MENA reported that Ugandan
President Yoweri Museveni and Nazif agreed at the AU summit
that a meeting of the nine states, to take place in Nairobi by
November, should be attended by heads of state.
Burundi and Democratic Republic of the Congo have not signed the
deal yet and have so far been tight-lipped about whether they plan
to or not.
Under the original pact Egypt, which faces possible water shortages
by 2017, is entitled to 55.5 billion cubic metres a year, the lion's
share of the Nile's total flow of around 84 billion cubic metres.
Some 85 percent of the Nile's waters originate in Ethiopia.
Courtesy
Read Also:
Abul Gheit: No clash with Nile countries
25 July, 2010 (Al-Masry Al-Youm) - The Minister of Foreign
Affairs, Ahmed Abul Gheit, said that Egypt is not seeking a clash
with Nile Basin states over the distribution of water shares
He delivered his statements during a meeting with his Ugandan and
Ethiopian counterparts. The meeting was scheduled in anticipation
of today’s African Union Summit to be held in Uganda’s capital,
Kampala. President Mubarak delegated Prime Minister Ahmed
Nazif to represent Egypt at the event.
Discussion between the three foreign ministers focused on the Nile
Basin Initiative (NBI). “I explained to the Ugandan foreign minister
that Egypt is not seeking a clash with Nile countries because the
waters will keep flowing from south to north," Abul Gheit revealed.
The Ugandan minister stated to Abul Gheit that Uganda wants to
used the water for power generation.
“I assured the minister that Egypt has no problem in assisting
Uganda as far as the generation of electricity is concerned," said
Abul Gheit, stating that Egyptian companies presently have the
capability to invest in hydroelectricity plants....More
27 July, 2010 | By Barry Malone (Reuters)
------------------------------------------------------------------
KAMPALA (Reuters) - Egypt sounded a conciliatory note on
Monday in a dispute over how Nile waters should be shared by the
countries it passes through at an African summit in the Ugandan
capital Kampala.
- After more
than a decade
of talks driven
by anger over
the perceived
injustice of a
previous Nile
water treaty
signed in
1929,
Ethiopia,
Uganda,
their northern neighbours.
The five signatories have given the other Nile Basin countries --
Egypt, Sudan, Burundi and Democratic Republic of the Congo --
one year to join the pact but the countries have been torn by behind-
the-scenes debate since the signing.
"There are no strategic differences between us," Egyptian Prime
Minister Ahmed Nazif told reporters at the summit. "The issue is
only on some technical points that need resolution. The purpose of
the Nile Basin agreements is development."
The words mark a softening of the Egyptian position since a meeting
of water ministers from the nine countries last month in the Ethiopian
capital, Addis Ababa.
"Ask the Egyptians to leave their culture and go and live in the
desert because you need to take this water and to add it to other
countries? No," Egyptian Water Minister Mohamed Nasreddin
Allam told Reuters at that meeting.
The Nile, stretching more than 6,600 km (4,100 miles) from Lake
Victoria to the Mediterranean, is a vital water and energy source for
the countries through which it flows.
Egyptian state news agency MENA reported that Ugandan
President Yoweri Museveni and Nazif agreed at the AU summit
that a meeting of the nine states, to take place in Nairobi by
November, should be attended by heads of state.
Burundi and Democratic Republic of the Congo have not signed the
deal yet and have so far been tight-lipped about whether they plan
to or not.
Under the original pact Egypt, which faces possible water shortages
by 2017, is entitled to 55.5 billion cubic metres a year, the lion's
share of the Nile's total flow of around 84 billion cubic metres.
Some 85 percent of the Nile's waters originate in Ethiopia.
Courtesy
Read Also:
Abul Gheit: No clash with Nile countries
25 July, 2010 (Al-Masry Al-Youm) - The Minister of Foreign
Affairs, Ahmed Abul Gheit, said that Egypt is not seeking a clash
with Nile Basin states over the distribution of water shares
He delivered his statements during a meeting with his Ugandan and
Ethiopian counterparts. The meeting was scheduled in anticipation
of today’s African Union Summit to be held in Uganda’s capital,
Kampala. President Mubarak delegated Prime Minister Ahmed
Nazif to represent Egypt at the event.
Discussion between the three foreign ministers focused on the Nile
Basin Initiative (NBI). “I explained to the Ugandan foreign minister
that Egypt is not seeking a clash with Nile countries because the
waters will keep flowing from south to north," Abul Gheit revealed.
The Ugandan minister stated to Abul Gheit that Uganda wants to
used the water for power generation.
“I assured the minister that Egypt has no problem in assisting
Uganda as far as the generation of electricity is concerned," said
Abul Gheit, stating that Egyptian companies presently have the
capability to invest in hydroelectricity plants....More
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