South Sudan tells Egypt it will respect existing Nile water treaties
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March 28, 2011 (JUBA) — The Government of Southern Sudan (GoSS)
assured Egyptian officials on Monday that it will honor the agreements
already in place regarding the allocation of the Nile waters.
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A family fishes in the Nile river in Cairo March 8, 2011 (Reuters)
Egypt currently holds dominant right on Nile water following powers
granted by a 1929 colonial-era treaty with Britain. Its subsequent
1959 deal with Sudan gave the two downstream countries more than 90
percent control of Nile waters.
Under the original deal, Egypt is entitled to 55.5 billion cubic
meters of water a year, the lion’s share of the Nile’s total flow of
around 84 billion cubic meters.
Upstream countries have tabled the Nile Basin Initiative (NBI) in 1999
which would strip Egypt of its veto right over all upstream projects
including irrigation and hydropower. This was signed by six nations
that are set to have it ratified this year by the respective
parliaments. Sudan has stood firmly in opposition for amending the
original treaty.
However, South Sudan is set to secede officially in July after the
Southerners voted overwhelmingly this year in favor of independence.
Cairo was concerned that this would impact its share of the Nile
waters particularly if the South decided to join the NBI.
But South Sudan president Salva Kiir said during his talks with
visiting Egyptian Prime minister Essam Sharaf that GoSS expansion of
plantation project would be within the share of the entire Sudan as
specified by the original treaties adding that Cairo need not worry.
Kiir stressed that that Egypt is the largest partner for South Sudan
and expressed his gratitude to the developmental role played by Cairo
towards the Southern Sudanese and urged Sharaf to send more medical
and educational missions.
The Egyptian PM on his end pledged to support South Sudan and play a
mediation role in any differences that could emerge between North and
South Sudan.
Both sides later signed a memorandum of understanding stating that
Egypt would provide substantial assistance and to the South in the
areas of agriculture and water use.
(ST)
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