Nile basin nations say water-sharing accord has come into force without Egypt’s backing

Associated Press

KAMPALA, Uganda (AP) — A regional partnership for Nile River basin countries says an agreement on the equitable use of water resources has come into force despite the notable opposition of Egypt. The legal status of the “cooperative framework” among 10 riparian states was formally confirmed by the African Union after South Sudan became the sixth country to ratify the accord, the Nile Basin Initiative said in a statement Sunday. Ethiopia, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and Tanzania have also ratified the accord. Egypt, Sudan, Congo and Kenya are yet to ratify it. The accord takes force amid tensions in the region that stem in part from Ethiopia’s construction of a big dam on the Nile that Egypt fears will have a devastating effect on water and irrigation supplies downstream.