Addis Ababa, August 10, 2025 (FMC) – The newly established Nile Basin Commission is expected to play a pivotal role in converting decades of skepticism among Nile Basin countries into a framework of cooperation and shared development, experts have emphasized.
Preparations are advancing to inaugurate the Commission’s headquarters in Entebbe, Uganda, marking a significant institutional step toward coordinated management of the Nile’s waters.
The Nile Basin Cooperation Framework Agreement (CFA), comprising 45 articles, rests on fundamental principles including equitable and reasonable utilization of water resources, prevention of significant harm to member states, and voluntary collaboration.
Officially entering into force on October 13, 2024, the CFA was ratified by Ethiopia, Tanzania, Uganda, Burundi, Rwanda, and South Sudan. The agreement underscores shared responsibility, mutual respect, and peaceful resolution of disputes while addressing pressing regional challenges such as climate change, population growth, and environmental degradation.
Experts told local news agency ENA that the Commission was formed to oversee the implementation of the CFA’s provisions and to institutionalize cooperation among the Nile riparian states.
Water Resources Management and Hydro-Diplomacy Consultant Fek Ahmed Negash noted that despite the agreement’s culmination after more than two decades of negotiations, crucial institutional functions await full realization with the Commission’s operational launch.
International water law expert Kebede Gerba confirmed that preparations to open the Entebbe office and staff recruitment are progressing steadily.
ENA reported that the Commission is envisioned as the central coordinating body for the CFA’s implementation, providing an institutional platform for collaborative development, management, and sustainable use of the Nile River among member states.
Kebede also highlighted the 2015 Declaration of Principles (DoP) signed by the leaders of Ethiopia, Egypt, and Sudan in Khartoum as an important milestone that paved the way for enhanced regional cooperation.
He emphasized that the CFA distinctly repudiates outdated colonial-era treaties, heralding a new era of partnership among Nile Basin countries. The legal recognition embodied by the agreement serves not as a source of discord but as a foundation for equitable development and cooperation.
According to Kebede, the Commission is tasked with mediating disputes among members while safeguarding their respective rights and obligations under the agreement.
Experts called on Ethiopia to sustain its leadership role in realizing the full potential of the Nile Basin Cooperation Framework Agreement.
They also urged accelerated efforts to encourage remaining Nile Basin countries to join the agreement, thereby bolstering the Commission’s capacity to promote fair and sustainable water governance across the region.