Egypt and Sudan fear loss of control over Nile water

Four Nile Basin countries on Friday signed a new water-sharing treaty despite strong opposition from the river's two thirstiest users: Egypt and Sudan.

DanMS at en.wikipedia

Rwanda, Ethiopia, Uganda and Tanzania, four of nine countries which stand to benefit from the arrangement, signed the agreement in the Ugandan town of Entebbe. 

"This agreement benefits all of us and harms none of us," said Ethiopia's Water Resources Minister Asfaw Dingamo. "I strongly believe all Nile Basin countries will sign the agreement."

But Egypt seemed poised to do anything but sign. The country, along with Sudan, has expressed fears that upstream countries will divert badly needed water for domestic irrigation and hydropower projects.

Diaa el-Din el-Quosy, a water expert and the former deputy chairman of the National Water Research Centre in Cairo, says that, even without the new treaty, Egypt is in a severe water crisis.

Listen

03:32

Diaa el-Din el-Quosy, former deputy chairman of Egypt's National Water Research Centre

Billie O'Kadameri

 
“Every cubic meter of water is used twice to three times before being disposed into the Mediterranean,” he told RFI.  “The other nine Nile Basin countries have no problems with water whatsoever.”

The upstream countries say they will consult Egypt and Sudan before implementing irrigation and hydropower projects.  But they want to strip Egypt of the veto power it was given by a 1929 colonial-era treaty with Britain.

The Nile Basin Initiative, which had been spearheading the talks, will now become the Nile Basin Commission and will receive, review and approve or reject projects related to Africa's longest river.

Egypt has vowed to defend its water supply, calling its water supply a “red line” and threatening legal action should the process move forward.

"We regret the intentional and announced absence of our dear brothers from Egypt and Sudan," said Stanislas Kamanzi, Rwanda's water and lands minister at the signing of the treaty.