The Minister of Water and Environment, Mr. Sam Cheptoris, emphasized the significance of collaborative management of the River Nile and its resources to drive development in the Nile Basin countries. He expressed hope that national commitments and support would lead to increased investments, benefiting the people in the basin states. Mr. Cheptoris made these remarks during the 31st annual Nile Council of Ministers meeting in Kampala.
Uganda, a country with a long history of valuing Nile cooperation dating back to pre-colonial times, believes that each member state has inherent rights to the Nile. This belief underscores the importance of cooperative management of this essential resource, as stated by Mr. Cheptoris.
Sylvester Matemu, the Executive Director of the Nile Basin Initiative (NBI), stressed the need to address the challenges facing the Nile Basin to achieve the NBI’s sustainable development goals. He highlighted ongoing water-related issues, including diminishing water sources, water pollution, ecosystem pressures, and climate challenges. Failure to address these issues could exacerbate the challenges faced by the Nile Basin. Mr. Matemu mentioned the NBI’s commitment to supporting member states in addressing these challenges through commissioned projects and programs.
However, the Egyptian Minister for Water Resources and Irrigation, Mr. Hani Sewilam, expressed Egypt’s opposition to the recently negotiated Cooperative Framework Agreement (CFA) on the Nile. Egypt’s objection stems from concerns about deviations from the agreed consensus-based decision-making procedure. Mr. Sewilam reaffirmed Egypt’s position and expressed reservations about the adoption of the meeting’s agenda and outcomes in the current NILECOM meeting.
