4 Nile Basin countries sign water agreement
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This piece was written for Egypt Independent’s final weekly print edition, which was banned from going to press....
This piece was written for Egypt Independent's final weekly print edition, which was banned from going to press. We...
This piece was written for Egypt Independent's final weekly print edition, which was banned from going to press. We...
This piece was written for Egypt Independent’s final weekly print edition, which was banned from going to press...
This piece was written for Egypt Independent’s final weekly print edition, which was banned from going to press....
4 Nile Basin countries sign water agreement
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Sat, 15/05/2010 - 11:10
Ethiopia, Uganda, Rwanda and Tanzania signed a new framework agreement on Nile water yesterday, a step strongly opposed by both Egypt and Sudan.
Soon after, Egypt announced that it does not recognize any agreement outside the framework of the Nile Basin Initiative, and confirmed that it will do everything necessary to secure its water rights.
The new agreement is not legitimate since it does not include all of the Nile Basin countries, said Mohamed Nasr Eddin Allam, minister of Water Resources and Irrigation.
The signing of this agreement does not mean that these countries can ignore their commitments to previously signed documents on Nile water, since they were considered border agreements, said a spokesperson for the Foreign Affairs Ministry. The new agreement is not binding, he added.
Meanwhile, the Kenyan water resources minister decided not to go to the Ugandan capital of Entebbe for the signing. His assistant declined to comment on whether the minister's absence was the result of Egyptian pressure.
The agreement evoked varied responses from politicians and experts. Diaa Eddin el-Qousi, a water expert, said that in international law, water agreements are treated as border agreements, meaning they cannot be abolished or amended.
Abdel Qader Ismail, an expert in African affairs stressed that the Nile countries must negotiate and military intervention should not be an option. The Nile source countries cannot continue to build dams because the rainfall in these countries needs to be continuously drained, he added.
Both China and Italy who have financed water projects in Ethiopia have common economic interests with Egypt and are unlikely to get involved in projects that harm Egypt’s interests, Ismail added.
Meanwhile, Waheed Abdel Meguid, vice president of the Ahram Center for Strategic Studies, said the current crisis reflects the shrinking role of Egypt in the Arab world and Africa. Egypt has become too absorbed in Middle Eastern and North African affairs, he added.
Translated from the Arabic Edition.
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Every time we have a problem here in Egypt, we accuse Israel as a reason. In most of the cases, I did not agree with this accusation. But the current water crises, I would say Israel has been fully involved in this issue. Here are the reasons:
1. When Mr. Lieberman was a member of the Knesset, he warned Egypt by bombing the Aswan high dam.
2. Mr. Abu El Gheit and Mr. Lieberman had terrible relationship since the last mentioned took his office. Mr. Lieberman wanted to show what he can do to Mr. Abu El Gheit and his people.
3. Before the Sharm El Sheikh conference which took place two month ago and included the 9 Nile basin countries, Mr. Lieberman made a visit to the “Nile source African nations” with a big delegation with Israeli biggest head of companies. They made their agreements.
4. On Sunday 16 May, the Ethiopian Times announced that a dam was built and will be used for electricity generation, will also help in the cultivation of 119,000 hectares of land. The dam is funded fully by the Ethiopian government at a cost of US$500 million. I believe Israel has funded this money, because they knew that 85% of the water that comes to Egypt comes from Ethiopia.
5. The Israeli media has ignored this water problem and almost did not comment it. They did almost the same thing when Hamas leader Al Mabhouh was killed in Dubai.
6. Importing cows or meet from Ethiopia is far from enough. The Ethiopians can export it to other countries. Ethiopia needs real African unity.
7. Decisive Egyptian – Ethiopian investment and culture in both countries is a MUST. Not only one sided investment like Egypt- Algeria (Orascom)
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