Addis Ababa – Uganda, the current chairman of the Nile Council, is about to convene a summit for the Nile River River Bank States and members of the Cooperative Framework Agreement (CFA) in June this year.
According to Uganda Foreign Minister Odongo Jeje Abubahar, the summit is expected to address lingering differences in the implementation of the contract.
In an exclusive interview with the Ethiopian Herald, Minister Odongo revealed that Ugandan President Yaweli Museveni is actively working to organize the summit, aimed at cultivating consensus among all Nile basin states.
“We are trying to meet with all the riverbank countries, including those who have not yet joined the CFA,” he said. “It is possible to persuade them to join. All riverbank countries need to move forward together.”
The Minister expressed optimism that all Nile Basin nations will participate in the upcoming summit. Currently, six countries have signed the CFA. This meets the minimum threshold for the contract to be enforced. “The contract is already effective because the minimum requirements for six signers are met,” he pointed out.
Odongo emphasized that continuing reliance on outdated colonial agreements, such as the 1929 treaty signed between Egypt and the British colonial regime, is no longer viable. “South such as Sudan, Uganda and other countries were not independent when those agreements were signed,” he said. “Now, all riverbank countries are sovereign, finding new and equitable solutions to manage and share Nile resources is essential. This is exactly what the CFA is proposing.”
Ethiopian Foreign Minister Gedion Timothewos (PhD) also weighed in, urging Uganda to take advantage of its current leadership role in the Nile River Basin Initiative (NBI) and promote the establishment of the Nile Basin Committee.
The upcoming NBI conference, scheduled for June 2025, is expected to focus on moving forward in water management for the Nile River and encouraging more countries to formally participate in the CFA.
