Colonial legacy of essential river endangers peace in Africa
Date
10/24/2024 7:51:22 AM
(MENAFN) This past summer, a significant and somewhat unexpected event unfolded when South Sudan's parliament ratified the Nile Basin Cooperative Framework Agreement (CFA), also known as the Entebbe Agreement. This move, occurring 14 years after several East African nations initially signed the agreement, has raised crucial questions about Egypt and Sudan’s longstanding claims to the Nile's waters.
The Entebbe Agreement was originally signed in 2010 by Ethiopia, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, Kenya, and Burundi, with South Sudan joining in 2012. A key stipulation of the agreement required ratification by at least six countries to establish a special commission that would operate out of Uganda. With South Sudan's recent ratification, the necessary quorum was finally met, enabling the agreement to move forward.
On October 13, Ethiopia officially announced the enforcement of the agreement. Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed hailed this development as a "historic milestone" in the shared efforts of the signatory countries to foster genuine cooperation in managing the Nile Basin.
The Entebbe Agreement effectively nullifies historical water allocations to Egypt and Sudan, which had been based on colonial-era treaties from 1929 and a 1959 agreement that allocated 55.5 billion cubic meters of water annually to Egypt and 18.5 billion cubic meters to Sudan. This shift in rights could potentially escalate tensions in a region where water scarcity is already a pressing issue.
As countries along the Nile seek to assert their rights and negotiate new frameworks for water management, the implications of the Entebbe Agreement resonate far beyond national borders. The evolving dynamics underscore the urgent need for cooperative solutions that address both historical grievances and contemporary challenges, as water resources remain a vital element for peace and stability in Africa.
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