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Seven countries including Ethiopia, Rwanda, South Sudan, Uganda, Tanzania, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo have endorsed the CFA, which became effective on Sunday, October 13. However, Cairo and Khartoum have rejected it.
The Nile Basin Initiative (NBI), a grouping of riparian states, said that the CFA aims to rectify historical imbalances in access to the Nile’s waters. Known as the Cooperative Framework Agreement (CFA), the treaty aims to ensure equitable utilization and sustainable management of the world’s longest river.
Several upstream countries have long argued that colonial-era agreements had unfairly allocated the downstream states of Egypt and Sudan greater rights over the river Nile.
Seven countries including Ethiopia, Rwanda, South Sudan, Uganda, Tanzania, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo have endorsed the CFA, which became effective on Sunday, October 13. However, Cairo and Khartoum have rejected it.
The CFA recognizes the legitimate needs of all Nile Basin states and is committed to the equitable sharing of these waters in a manner that promotes sustainable development. This agreement represents hope for the future, where each country can grow and prosper without depriving others of the same opportunity, the NBI statement read.
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The Nile River has long been a focal point of geopolitical tension in eastern Africa, particularly between Egypt and Ethiopia. The friction rose when Addis Ababa built a large hydropower project on the Blue Nile, which Cairo said would hurt its water security.
