ADDIS ABABA — The recent ratification of the Nile Basin Cooperative Framework Agreement (CFA) by South Sudan will enable Nile Basin Initiative countries to work together and use shared water resources equitably and reasonably, according to Nile River Basin Investment Program Regional Coordinator Adanech Yared.
According to Ethiopian News Agency, who spoke to ENA, the ratification of the CFA by South Sudan represents significant progress. “It shows the progress that the countries are making to become part of this framework by understanding the importance of cooperation among member countries to use shared water resources equitably and reasonably,” Yared noted. The ratification is fostering regional cooperation as different countries come on board. “We already have regional cooperation through the Nile Basin Initiative temporary institution. This strengthens even more when the Nile Basin Initiative becomes a commission.”
With South Sudan’s ratification, joining Ethiopia, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, and Burundi, the Nile Basin Commission can now be established and come into full force. Yared emphasized that the ratification by the sixth country would unify the voices of Nile Basin countries. “This ratification unifies member countries’ voices, rather than having one or two countries discussing the benefits of cooperation. When all member countries speak together, the impact is significantly greater.”
The CFA will improve water resource management, economic and investment opportunities in the basin, and decision-making processes regarding the utilization of Nile water. Highlighting the CFA’s principles, Yared explained that the agreement allows Nile Basin countries to manage water resources in an integrated manner. The ratification plays a pivotal role in promoting bilateral and multilateral infrastructures that benefit the basin’s people. Furthermore, it creates a platform for dialogue, peace, stability, and conflict resolution that ensures the interests of all countries.
Ethiopia has played an important role diplomatically and technically in promoting regional cooperation in the Nile Basin. The CFA outlines rights and obligations for the development of Nile Basin water resources and promotes the equitable and reasonable utilization of the river. The process of ratification began in June 2013, four years after its signature, by Ethiopia, followed in August of that year by Rwanda. Tanzania ratified the CFA in 2015, Uganda in 2019, and Burundi in 2023.