Ethiopia Says Nile Agreement Will Proceed Despite Egypt's Opposition

By Al Mayadeen English

Source: Agencies

10 Sep 2026 00:13

Ethiopia defends the Nile Basin framework and calls for cooperation as Egypt and Sudan press for safeguards over their water security.

Former Ethiopian Minister of Water and Energy Alemayehu Tegenu said the implementation of the Nile Basin Cooperative Framework Agreement will not be halted by Egypt's refusal to join it, arguing that the treaty now has an established legal and political basis.

Speaking to the Ethiopian News Agency, Tegenu said Egypt's refusal to sign the agreement "does not constitute an obstacle to its implementation," adding that countries that have ratified it can move forward independently of the positions of Cairo and Khartoum.

He called on the member states to begin establishing an institutional framework based on the equitable and reasonable use of Nile waters and cooperation among the basin's riparian countries.

The Cooperative Framework Agreement officially entered into force on October 13, 2024, after the required minimum number of ratifications was completed. The threshold was reached after South Sudan deposited the sixth instrument of accession with the African Union in August of that year.

The agreement provides for the establishment of a Nile River Basin Commission as a permanent institution responsible for cooperation and the management of shared water resources.

Dispute continues over Nile water management

Tegenu criticized Egypt's position on the agreement, arguing that Cairo continues to rely on water-sharing arrangements concluded with Sudan in 1959, to which Ethiopia was not a party.

From Addis Ababa's perspective, he said, the Cooperative Framework Agreement represents a shift away from previous arrangements toward a system based on equitable and reasonable use and sovereign cooperation among Nile Basin states.

Egypt, meanwhile, maintains that a comprehensive consensus among all Nile Basin countries is necessary and insists that any water management arrangements must be based on international law, equitable and reasonable use, and the principle of avoiding significant harm to other states.

GERD remains at the center of tensions

Addressing the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), Tegenu said the dam is now operational and argued that it has not reduced the volume of water reaching downstream countries.

He said Ethiopia would continue to develop its water resources and pursue its development projects.

The Arab League this week renewed its support for the positions of Egypt and Sudan, expressing concern over the continued operation of the GERD without a legally binding agreement between the three countries governing its operation.

Expert calls for Egypt and Sudan to share watershed protection costs

In a parallel development, water expert and former executive director of the Eastern Nile Technical Regional Office, Fekahmed Negashie, called on Egypt and Sudan to contribute to the costs of Ethiopia's large-scale watershed restoration and reforestation programs.

He said the two downstream countries directly benefit from improved conditions in Ethiopia's drainage basins, including through reduced soil erosion and sedimentation and better regulation of water flows.

Under normal circumstances, he argued, countries benefiting from such projects should contribute to their costs.

Negashie said effective watershed management could generate benefits extending beyond Ethiopia to Sudan and Egypt, particularly by reducing sedimentation, improving water-flow regulation, and strengthening the Nile Basin's ability to withstand climate variability.

Ethiopia, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda signed the Cooperative Framework Agreement in May 2010, followed by Kenya and Burundi. Ethiopia deposited the first instrument of ratification in 2013, while South Sudan's accession in August 2024 completed the legal threshold required for the agreement to enter into force 60 days later.

The central dispute over the future management of Nile waters remains focused on reconciling the demands of upstream countries for equitable use of shared water resources with the demands of Egypt and Sudan for water security and protection of existing uses, leaving the issue among the most significant sources of political tension between Nile Basin states.