Mini-Nile-COM committee meeting outcome to be reviewed at Nile-COM meeting in Uganda

The outcome of a meeting of the mini-committee of the Nile Council of Ministers (Nile-COM), which wrapped up work in Khartoum on Tuesday, will be addressed at Nile-COM meeting in Uganda.

During the meeting, Egyptian Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Mohamed Abdel Atti raised issues concerning the Cooperative Framework Agreement (CFA) - or the Entebbe agreement.

The CFA, which has been signed by six Nile Basin Initiative (NBI) members so far, outlines principles, rights and obligations for cooperative management and development of the Nile Basin water resources through a permanent institutional mechanism.

The CFA stipulates an equitable and reasonable utilization of the waters of the River Nile. Egypt and Sudan have declined to sign the agreement, citing disagreements over Article 14(b), which requires members “not to significantly affect the water security of any other Nile Basin States.”

Cairo argues that Egypt has historical rights to the Nile that have not been taken into consideration by the CFA, and demands a clear stipulation requiring prior notification from other members about planned measures regarding the Nile.

It was this disagreement over the CFA that led Egypt to suspend its full participation in the Nile Basin Initiative in 2010.

Source: MENA