Co Operative Framework Agreement (CFA) today came into force despite criticism by two downstream river Nile countries. CFA was opened for signing and ratification by river Nile countries in 2010. The agreement aims at fair use of river Nile by the 11 countries through which the river passes. River Nile passes through Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Congo, Ethiopia, South Sudan, Sudan, Burundi, Egypt, Kenya and Eritrea.
Egypt and Sudan have been criticizing Co Operative Framework Agreement CFA. In a press release issued by the Permanent Joint Technical Commission for Nile Waters (PJTC), Egypt and Sudan expressed their concerns over the adoption of the Cooperative Framework Agreement (CFA) by some Nile Basin countries.
During a meeting held on October 11th and 12th, 2024, both countries called for a more inclusive and consensual approach. Egypt and Sudan criticized the CFA as lacking broad consensus and as violating established principles of international law. They reiterated their commitment to cooperative water management based on transboundary models seen in other African river basins, urging for a scientific assessment of social, economic, and environmental impacts before any new agreements are ratified.
Despite Egypt and Sudan’s stated dedication to cooperation, the two countries also maintained their opposition to the CFA, asserting that it cannot be representative of the Nile Basin’s interests without their participation. Their position reflects an underlying tension, as both Egypt and Sudan generate almost no water from the Nile but continue to seek control over its resources.
Ethiopia welcomed enforcement of CFA today. Ethiopia has been in dispute with Egypt and Sudan over Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) built by Ethiopia over river Nile. Egypt and Sudan have been vehemently opposing the construction of the dam. The entry into force of the CFA comes after six Nile River basin countries – Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi and Uganda – ratified the agreement at a meeting in Bujumbura, Burundi, earlier this year.
CFA aims, among other initiatives, to establish the Nile River Basin Commission (RNBC), which would inherit all the rights, obligations and assets of the Nile Basin Initiative (NBI), formally launched in February 1999 by the water ministers of nine Nile River basin countries: Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Burundi, Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Eritrea (as an observer). The first sign of tension regarding the entry into force of the new agreement came last Thursday, October 10, when the second summit of heads of state and government of the Nile Basin, which was to be held in the Ugandan capital Kampala, was canceled. The second summit is to be held on October 17 to to start the transition from the NBI to the RNBC.
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