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Ethiopia signals Nile control
Ethiopia’s Minister of Water and Energy Habtamu Iteifa said the Nile’s flow toward downstream countries will be under his country’s control, as he justified new dams with “fair use of Nile waters and sustainable development.”
“the river’s flow toward downstream countries will be under his country’s control”
Egypt and Sudan rejected the remarks, with an Egyptian official source telling Al Jazeera Net that the statements represent “an escalation of the Ethiopian unilateral approach that flagrantly violates international law.”
The dispute centers on Ethiopia’s Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam on the Blue Nile, which CNN Arabic says Ethiopia built and which has been at the center of negotiations over filling and operating rules.
CNN Arabic also said Ethiopia’s “Nile Basin Cooperative Framework Agreement” entered into force officially as of last Tuesday, and that it would “enable the establishment of the Nile Basin Commission.”
Egypt vows no fait accompli
Egypt’s response was firm, with the Egyptian official source stressing that “the Nile is not the property of any one state,” and warning that unilateral control contradicts rules for transboundary rivers.
The same Egyptian source said Egypt would “not allow it to become a fait accompli,” adding that Cairo would take all measures guaranteed under international law to protect Nile rights and resources.
CNN Arabic framed Ethiopia’s position as correcting “water usage inequalities,” saying the agreement would “recognize the legal rights of all Nile basin countries” and make them subject to “fair distribution and sustainable use of water.”
Daily Excelsior reported Egypt’s warning that it will not accept attempts by Ethiopia to control Nile water flows to downstream countries and described the move as a “blatant violation” of international law.
Regional stakes and security
Sudan Independent said the dispute has escalated beyond water shares, quoting UN expert Ahmed Fawzi Diab that it has become “a matter linked to national security and regional stability in the Nile basin.”
“a matter linked to national security and regional stability in the Nile basin”
Sudan Independent also reported that Egypt and Sudan insist on historical rights under the 1959 Agreement, which sets 55.5 billion cubic meters for Egypt and 18.5 billion cubic meters for Sudan.
The same article said Ethiopia announced the Framework Cooperation Agreement in the Nile Basin entered into force after ratification by six countries: Ethiopia, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, and South Sudan, while Egypt and Sudan rejected it.
It further described Egypt’s concern that any further decrease in Nile flows could have “significant consequences for food security, development, and social stability,” and warned that disputes could open the door to “regional conflicts that are hard to contain.”