ADDIS ABABA – The newly established Nile River Basin Commission (NRBC) is expected to resolve the contentious issue of ensuring equitable utilization of Abay River, Horn of Africa (HoA) Security Analyst commented.
In his article published on the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) on Tuesday, HoA Security Analyst Moses Chrispus Okello, highlighted that the newly established NRBC is mandated to resolve the contentious issue of ensuring equitable use of the Nile River.
The Agreement on the Nile River Basin Cooperative Framework (CFA) came into force, triggering the transition from the Nile Basin Initiative to the new cooperative framework. Under this agreement, the NRBC must resolve a dispute about the use of Nile water resources within six months, Moses stated.
Egypt, which experiences severe water stress and sees the Nile as crucial for its survival and, Ethiopia, which considers the dam essential for its development, have engaged in intense rhetoric and sporadic negotiations. Both countries have regularly sought diplomatic support from other Nile Basin countries, he mentioned.
He indicated that the full completion of Ethiopia’s Abbay Dam is inevitable in the near future and the CFA’s enforcement gives the NRBC the responsibility to address this issue while legally distributing Nile water control among all Basin countries.
As to him, multiple attempts at resolution have been undertaken, including a 2015 principles declaration, tripartite committees for intelligence, irrigation and foreign affairs, and the creation of cooperation frameworks.
A three-nation summit has been held along with World Bank-facilitated discussions, technical analyses, talks within the Abay Basin Initiative, and even the United States’ involvement during Trump’s presidency. However, all these efforts suffered mediation shortcomings, notably partiality, the Analyst wrote.
BY ESSEYE MENGISTE
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD WEDNESDAY 30 OCTOBER 2024
