The fate of the Nile Basin Initiative after May 14th.2010
By Professor Ali Abdalla Ali
May 14, 2010 — Between 10-12 April 2010, a ministerial meeting of the Nile Basin countries Ministers of Irrigation and Water Resources ministries convened in Sharm El Sheikh in Egypt to look into the possibility of preparing for the signature of the Common Framework Agreement (CFA) which will be the new legal frame or substitute for the historical Nile agreements of 1929 and 1959.In other words a new agreement which calls for the fair and just utilization of the Nile waters for the benefit and welfare of all the riparian countries rather than on the basis of water allocations given to countries of Egypt and Sudan in the two historical agreements. A meeting was held prior to that in Uganda whose deliberations were brought up to Sharm El Sheikh in Egypt. After two days of very intensive discussion it seemed that there was little agreement.
Few days after the meeting were over, considerable press news came out especially from Ethiopia that they have decided to sign on 14th. May as decided together with the other riparian countries excluding Egypt and the Sudan and that nothing will stop them from signing the CFA. On the other hand the Egyptian Minister of Irrigation and Water resources indicated that signing of the CFA shall constitute the end of the NBI. Such utterances although their contents were known from the desperate two day meetings in Sharm El Sheikh, yet their declaration especially from the Ethiopian side had stirred the pond and sent ripples through all the Nile basin especially after some news that Egypt had raised it readiness to meet the outcome. Sudan on its side had sent delegations on behalf of the newly elected Sudanese President to some riparian countries especially Ethiopia to convince them from not signing the CFA. The Sudan’s first VP Silva Kir also visited Ethiopia on such hope.
