Economic Feature By Leo Odera Omolo In Kisumu City
SEVEN Eastern and Central African upstream countries that share the water resources of the Nile River water resources have disagreed with Egypt and Sudan over the timing and signing of an agreement that would set up a commission to administer and oversee the equitable utilization of its resources.
The seven nations, which include Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo have now unilaterally resolved to move forward and sign an on equitable utilization of the world’s longest river without necessarily involving Egypt and Sudan.
The sharp disagreement emerged at crucial meeting of the nine African Ministers of Water Affairs at the Egyptian resort City of Sharma El Sheikh last week. The meeting held under the auspice of Nile Basin Initiative. THE Min9sters failed to strike an inclusive deal at an extraordinary meeting, which a source said was dogged by intrigues and biases.
After 18 hours of the non-stop meeting interspersed with walkouts and consultation, the seven upstream countries have now set May 14 as the beginning of the signing process that will left the door open until April 2011.
But the Egypt and Sudan are not expected at the signing ceremony to be held in Entebbe, Uganda after they objected calling for more talks until consensus is reached on the controversial Article 14{b] of the proposed Co-operation Framework Agreement [CFA} which relates to historical water right and uses.
At the meeting of the Nilecom, the Dr Congo, Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda, Tanzania, Kenya and Ethiopia agreed that ‘with regard to the signing procedure, we should open CFA from May 14 and it shall remain open for no
Egypt and Sudan are reported to have rejected the position, arguing that the proposal reflects only, the views of the seven states.”
Egypt, which is currently hold the rotating chair of the Nile Basin Council of Ministers, had introduced a new proposal seeking to establish the Nile River Basin Commission before outstanding negotiations on the agreement, in a move that could be described as “ putting the cart before the horse”.
In their latest proposal, Egypt and Sudan wanted all nine Nile Basin countries to issue a presidential declaration to launch the Commission as negotiations to reach a comprehensive agreement continue.
“They also proposed that modalities of the Commission be elaborated by the Nile Basin countries taking into consideration the relevant provision in the draft CFA,” the statement adds.
The Commission is anticipated to replace the legally fragile Nile Basin Initiative, which has its secretariat in Entebbe Uganda.
The two downstream states had initially opposed the establishment of the Commission until the latest meeting when they suddenly changed tack and demanded that the member countries establish the commission ahead of the signing of the C FA.
The change of tack by Egypt and Sudan is attributed in the African diplomatic circles to be after realization that NBI expires in 2012 and a new framework needs to be in the place before then to replace it.
The proposal, however, opposed by the upstream states consisting of Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia, Tanzania Rwanda, Burundi and the Dr Congo who saw it as an attempt to delay the signing of the protocol.
The upstream countries will have Tanzanian Water Minister Prof Mark Mwandosya to thank for staying awake lat into the negotiations to notice 9insertions that Egypt negotiators were attempting to introduce in their favor while the rest of the conference room drifted off the pace as the night wore on.
The establishment of the Commission outside of the agreement, Prof.Mwandosya noted, would mean creating a hollow institution, which could be less effective than NBI.
An official of the NBI who attended the closed door meeting in Egypt later told the press of the lack of impartiality by the Nilecom chair who is the Egyptian Minister for Water Affairs Nassr Eddin Allam.
Bur addressing newsmen at the end of the meeting Egyptian Vice m8nister for Nile Basin Affairs Reda Bibars said that Egypt would not be affected by the upstream states signing a final agreement. Her Irrigation colleague added that more negotiations would follow to settle the outstanding issues.
The North African states banks on the outdated international laws that protect it in this cont6ext,especially with respect to prior signed 1929 and 1959 that preserve the country’s current water quota.
Addressing the meeting Kenya’s Assistant Minister for Water Development Mwanig Kiunjuri i said citizen of the upstream countries were becoming worried about the inability to make the Nile River basin Commission a reality, However, he said the commission ‘s establishment must be done as proposed by the down stream states.
Ends
leooderaomolo@yahoo.