Ethiopia has called for immediate and full implementation of the Nile River Basin Cooperative Framework, also known as the Cooperative Framework Agreement (CFA) as the East African nation is preparing to inaugurate Africa’s largest hydropower project.
In a recent briefing, Nebiat Getachew, spokesperson of the ministry of foreign affairs, said the CFA is the result of over a decade of negotiations, reflecting the collective determination of Nile basin countries to harness the Nile River for the benefit of all, ensuring its equitable and sustainable use for generations to come.
The Agreement was negotiated amongst nine Nile riparian countries (Burundi, DR Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda), and comes into force after its signature and ratification by five countries (Burundi, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Tanzania and 2 Uganda) and accession by a sixth country – South Sudan.
Getachew said the completion of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) is a symbol of African self-reliance and regional development.”
GERD holds a 74 billion cubic meter reservoir and has a total installed capacity of generating 5,150 megawatts (MW). It is set to become Africa’s largest hydropower facility once fully operational.
“Ethiopia is committed to implementation of the Cooperative Framework Agreement (CFA), describing it as “a landmark legal instrument governing equitable use of the Nile,” Getachew said.
The briefing comes amid renewed Egyptian diplomatic efforts to rally regional support against the project. Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty has in recent weeks held talks with counterparts in Sudan, South Sudan, Djibouti, Uganda, Kenya, and Somalia, reiterating Cairo’s opposition to what it describes as unilateral measures on the Nile in violation of international law.
Earlier this month, Foreign Minister Abdelatty, accompanied by Egypt’s Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Hani Sewilam, met with Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni in Entebbe to convey Egypt’s “existential concerns” over water security. According to Egyptian media, the delegation warned of “unilateral actions” in the eastern Nile Basin and threatened to pursue “all necessary measures under international law” to safeguard Egypt’s share of the Nile waters.
Ethiopia has rather maintained calls for “equitable and reasonable use of shared resources.” Getachew stressed that “African nations must collaborate to manage their resources and determine their own future through dialogue and mutual agreement.”
Ethiopia continues to frame the GERD not only as a national achievement but also as a symbol of basin-wide solidarity and African-led development. Addis Ababa has also cautioned that Egypt’s rejection of the CFA and its campaign against GERD risk undermining the cooperative spirit embraced by several other Nile Basin states.
MG/abj/APA