Nile River Cooperation Agreement Takes Effect Amid Disputes

Ethiopia’s Nile Basin Cooperative Framework Agreement (CFA) officially came into force on Sunday, despite ongoing opposition from Egypt and Sudan, TRTWorld reported on Sunday.

The CFA establishes the Nile River Basin Commission (NRBC), aimed at fostering cooperation among basin countries regarding Nile governance. While Egypt and Sudan have rejected the agreement, it has been signed by several upstream nations, including Ethiopia, Rwanda, South Sudan, Uganda, Tanzania, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed urged non-signatory states to join the initiative, promoting the concept of a “Nile Family” to ensure equitable resource use. The CFA marks the first multilateral effort to create a legal framework for managing the Nile, a river that has historically been a source of tension, particularly between Egypt and Ethiopia. While Ethiopia views the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) as crucial for its development, Egypt sees it as a threat to its water supply, calling for a binding agreement on the dam’s operation.