By: Staff Editor
It is known that the agreements signed in 1929 and 1959 regarding the Nile River; which gave the water to Egypt and Sudan; made the other riparian countries “spectators”. In particular, Ethiopia, which contributes 85 percent of the Nile water to the Nile; has been facing serious challenges due to the agreement it has not accepted and does not respect, which is to build the Nile Dam to generate electricity on the Nile.
Such problems can be overcome not by individual struggles but by a common agreement and struggle that focuses on the common interests of the riparian countries. For this reason, there was no previously agreed framework for action by the Nile Basin countries. And everything that was done individually was based on suspicion. That is why, instead of cooperating, a political drama has been followed to weaken each other.
The Nile Basin countries began the process of preparing a framework for cooperation and utilization of the world’s longest river that connects them three decades ago. However, Egypt and its allies, who do not want such a cooperative system, have been working hard to prevent the agreement from being signed by the member states. However, as they say, there is time for everyone; after all these years, the agreement has completed its final stages and started to be implemented in early October.
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (PhD), who tweeted about the entry into force of the Nile River Basin Cooperation Framework Agreement, said that the date the agreement entered into force would be remembered as a “historical milestone” for the riparian countries.
He was not without reason. This is because Ethiopia has worked tirelessly over the years to have the agreement signed. This was because it required ratification by six of the 11 riparian countries for the agreement to come into force. However, this did not happen at the time, and Ethiopia has been carrying out extensive diplomatic work to ensure that the number of countries that have ratified the agreement reaches six and that it can come into force. And its efforts have paid off, with Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, South Sudan and Burundi signing the Nile River Basin Cooperation Framework Agreement. And the entry into force of the agreement is considered a major diplomatic achievement for Ethiopia.
The main objective of the agreement is to change the unjust use of the Nile River that existed before; to enact and maintain a law that ensures the fair and equitable use of the river's water. The goal is also to change the hydro-hegemony that was reflected in the use of water resources by Egypt and Sudan, known as the lower basin countries, to fair and equitable use.
Now that the agreement has been signed and ratified, a favorable environment has been created for the countries of the Nile Basin Cooperation Agreement to establish the Nile Basin Commission. The establishment of the commission will eliminate injustices and disputes around the Nile River and create mutual benefits based on cooperation.
It is a mechanism whereby riparian countries work together to develop a system for the efficient use of water resources for their own benefit and without harming others. This is because the cooperative framework creates a framework in which water security is respected without prejudice or discrimination against any country. This has many political and economic benefits.
In a statement issued following the entry into force of the agreement, it was stated that the agreement establishes the principles of “cooperation, equitable sharing and mutual respect” among the riparian countries. “The agreement is a voluntary and binding agreement between the Nile River Basin States to jointly use, protect, conserve and manage the waters of the Nile, while respecting their sovereignty and territorial integrity.
The agreement; It states that “the Nile Basin States shall utilize the waters of the Nile in an equitable and rational manner within their respective territories,” and that their water development activities shall be “in the best and most sustainable manner.”
As indicated in the agreement, a Nile Basin Commission may be established if six of the riparian countries ratify it in their parliaments and submit it to the African Union. This commission, which will be established following the entry into force of the agreement, will facilitate the implementation of the principles, rights and obligations contained in the agreement.
Any disagreements between the countries regarding the implementation of the agreement will also be resolved through this commission. For this purpose, the Nile Basin Commission is expected to be established soon based on the agreement of the riparian member states.
This agreement, which ensures that each riparian country will have an “equitable and reasonable share” of the Nile River’s water resources, has been supported by some and opposed by others, asking why. Egypt and Sudan are also the representatives of the opposition. The Egyptians also traveled together for 11 years in the negotiations to establish the framework. However, they ultimately withdrew, as before, saying, “If we do not manage the water in our own way or if we do not continue to use the water in the way we used to use it.”
Egypt and Sudan are not expected to accept the new framework agreement. The two countries can continue to maintain their existing colonial and post-colonial agreements. Because the position of the two countries is that neither the cooperation of the basin nor the water use system of the basin countries can be reversed. From now on, the choice is one and the same. And that is to use it fairly according to the newly all-inclusive established system-because the old idea of Egypt and its exclusive use are over.
The two countries can continue to maintain their existing two-year agreements; These agreements, however, can only manage “water that flows within the borders of the countries. The upper basin water will be managed by this agreement from now on. They cannot bring their previous agreements and impose them on remaining riparian countries.
Strengthening cooperation among the Nile Basin countries will create an opportunity for countries to use their resources equitably. However, for this to happen, countries like Egypt that have the wrong idea of “don’t touch me” need to change their mindset.
However, the current path taken by the Egyptian government is very wrong and is based on a self-centered perspective rather than mutual cooperation; the 19th Nile Day and the Special Meeting of the Council of Water Ministers of the Basin Member States held a few days ago is sufficient evidence that it has violated the rights, freedoms and interests of others.
At this meeting held in Addis Ababa, there was a wide discussion on the establishment of the Nile Basin Commission, development cooperation among the basin countries and climate change- Egypt included.
The ministers of the member states who attended the forum were heard to express their views on the fair use of water and the sharing of water resources, as well as the need for comprehensive cooperation between the member states.
The request made by the Egyptian Minister of Water to “not look at, not visit” the dam is also intended to prevent the member states and the world from verifying that the dam is maintaining its flow and continuing its normal journey.