NAIROBI, Kenya – Ethiopia now finds itself alone in the tussle over the Nile waters. Sudan has aligned its stance with Egypt about a fresh treaty activated recently, governing the vital lifeline of the Nile Basin.
According to Sudan Tribune’s informed insiders, Ali Youssef, the newly appointed Foreign Minister of Sudan, chatted by phone with his Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukry to tackle the central issue of the Nile Basin dispute.
This dialogue came hot on the heels of a controversial Nile Basin treaty entering the fray. Standout move? South Sudan threw its weight behind the treaty in July, making way for the conception of a Nile River Basin Commission.
Shoukry reached out to Youssef to gauge Sudan’s take on the ongoing ado, sources relayed. Getting increasingly isolated, Ethiopia seems adrift amidst this unfolding regional conundrum.
Word has it that the two officials mulled over the treaty’s implications and the nascent commission’s potential. Youssef underscored Sudan’s resolve to work in concert with Egypt regarding Nile matters.
Critics from both Egypt and Sudan have loudly voiced their disapproval, asserting that this piece of paper tramples on international statutory principles. The commission—featuring Ethiopia, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, Burundi, plus South Sudan—apparently doesn’t envelop all nations with a stake in the Nile Basin.
What’s more, the duo firmly opposes Ethiopia’s ambitious engineering marvel, the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), nearing its ultimate phase. Egypt frets that this might siphon off the precious flow critical for its populace.
Ministers from the Nile Basin flocked to Addis Ababa this Monday, aiming to chat about the commission’s birth. According to reports from Sudan Tribune, they’ve chalked out plans to scout the GERD come Tuesday.
AXADLETM
