South Sudan tells Egypt it will respect existing Nile water treaties
March 28, 2011 (JUBA) — The Government of Southern Sudan (GoSS) assured Egyptian officials on Monday that it will honor the agreements already in place regarding the allocation of the Nile waters.
Under the original deal, Egypt is entitled to 55.5 billion cubic meters of water a year, the lion’s share of the Nile’s total flow of around 84 billion cubic meters.
Upstream countries have tabled the Nile Basin Initiative (NBI) in 1999 which would strip Egypt of its veto right over all upstream projects including irrigation and hydropower. This was signed by six nations that are set to have it ratified this year by the respective parliaments. Sudan has stood firmly in opposition for amending the original treaty.
However, South Sudan is set to secede officially in July after the Southerners voted overwhelmingly this year in favor of independence. Cairo was concerned that this would impact its share of the Nile waters particularly if the South decided to join the NBI.
But South Sudan president Salva Kiir said during his talks with visiting Egyptian Prime minister Essam Sharaf that GoSS expansion of plantation project would be within the share of the entire Sudan as specified by the original treaties adding that Cairo need not worry.
Kiir stressed that that Egypt is the largest partner for South Sudan and expressed his gratitude to the developmental role played by Cairo towards the Southern Sudanese and urged Sharaf to send more medical and educational missions.
The Egyptian PM on his end pledged to support South Sudan and play a mediation role in any differences that could emerge between North and South Sudan.
Both sides later signed a memorandum of understanding stating that Egypt would provide substantial assistance and to the South in the areas of agriculture and water use.
(ST)
Hero
South Sudan tells Egypt it will respect existing Nile water treaties
Ridiculous!
Liberator
South Sudan tells Egypt it will respect existing Nile water treaties
Dear readers:
Any agreement signed from now on by this illigitimate and along with its LAME DUCK leader(SLAVA KIIR) is not binding on any future South Sudan Govertnment.
Now, it’s very clear to everyone in the South Sudan and indeed to the whole East African region that you are still respecting the old 20th century agreement which was signed between Anglo-Egyptian colonial powers in which they didn’t even respected the right of Southerners to have to determined their right under the legal constitution before Sudan became an independent.
What a slave hear ted leader, Now you give another reason for sound minded Southerners who have fought to liberated this land away from “Arabs” domination to rebelled against your lack sound foreign policy guidance.
Makuei
South Sudan tells Egypt it will respect existing Nile water treaties
Oh No! This decision is too immature to make at this time.
Did Egyptian Government bribe Southern Sudanese leadership?
acathmac
South Sudan tells Egypt it will respect existing Nile water treaties
OOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHH NO!NO!!!!!!!!!!! brothers are these people confuse, what are you eating southerners. Is this not the Egypt that needs south to be garden of Arabs?
Is this not Egypt that dig Jonglei canal expecting to live us with no water?
Is this not the same Egypt if you are in school with them they touch you and smell it
I think you southerners are eating what make you think of nothing this will now show your weakness
O God of my ancesters bless this Nation Kush,its going back to war again we will still fight with Arab, these leaders are planting a tree of war again God you curst those who want to put us in woe again
son of acathmac Kush
Paul Ongee
South Sudan tells Egypt it will respect existing Nile water treaties
The issue of Nile water is clear. It was not equally shared or used by countries the River Nile runs through. I think we don’t have to ask Egypt for permission to use Nile water if we’re thirsty or hungry due to drought. We can use it for irrigation to meet our food security needs.
The agreement of 1929 was a mistake because it was signed during a colonial rule without considering the interest of other upstream countries. Since 1929/1959 Egypt didn’t meet its food needs so far. Why? Why it keeps importing wheat from USA and Russia?
Egypt has proved to be one of the populous Arab/North African countries relying mainly on imported food as if it was/is not in control of Nile water. The population increase should essentially keep pace with food security as the western world is doing. If we can do it in a family level, why not in a national one?
Egypt should use its expertise to produce more foods for its hungry population before making false claims that it wants to help Southern Sudan in agriculture or education. It can invest in agriculture as it’s doing in Northern Sudan to meet food security needs.
The best thing about Nile Basin Initiative (NBI) agreement is that it basically guarantees equal share of the Nile water for irrigation, building dams and development of hydroelectric power stations across the upstream countries including Egypt and Sudan. If Egypt claims or complains that Nile waters really run out, let’s blame God or climate change not the new state of South Sudan, or upstream countries.
Paul Ongee
Khartoum, Sudan
Gladiator
South Sudan tells Egypt it will respect existing Nile water treaties
Speechless!!!
How often do we have to humbly beseech our Leaders,not to decay on their imprudently made decisions at the cost of our country?A country,determined to stand firm in the midst of Africa,deserves not to dwell on inconsequential Treaties,signed at the taste of those,who onced considered themselves superior.Doing so will give utterance to solemn absurdity of the entire Liberation.
South Sudan is now an indepedent country,which should not be governed in a head-in-the-sand fashion politics.We don’t have to be reliant on egyptian agricultural support.Never!!!Instead,Egypt should be begging us on their knees.Period!!!Prehaps President Kiir should frequently visit Western Equatoria and take his time to feast on NATURAL agricultural products,before calling for egyptian support respectively.
Such decisions force one to doubt about the future of our country.Honestly speaking,the Nile is still full of restive souls(Blood)drowned by the Regime and its supporters e.g Egypt,Iraq etc.I personally think we should respect their needs,before we lightheaded have them drained in the deserts of the Arab World for negligible egyptian groundnuts.Is that too much to ask for?
Regards, Gladiator
Deng E. Manyuon
South Sudan tells Egypt it will respect existing Nile water treaties
Natural resources should be shared equally. Unless it is an exreme case, it should be shared equitably! Egypt should come to its senses. This is not 1929! ! ! No way for bullying.
Deng
Liberator
South Sudan tells Egypt it will respect existing Nile water treaties
Hero(Aka..Akol Aguek Ngong(Newsudan vision contributor)
please stop your propaganda rubbish against Dr. Riek Machar and Nuer in general.
You are here in the United States because of Nuer. Nuer paved the way and many of them have lobbied for many orphans to be given asylum in the United States. but Garang after hearing the recommendation sent to State Department under Madeleine at the time in the late ’90s, he quickly went and collect many Bor children some of whom were in the red army and “gave them a psedo name which today widely known as “the lost boys”.
so please you along others lost boys who have benefited after ’’Nuer’’ the arrival in the United States in early ’90s should not keep on agitating them by insulting them.
Equatorians and Nuer were the only 99.9% fighting forces in Anya Anya I and Nuer were 100% fighting force during Anya Anya II(1975-1983) Nuer along with padang Dinka were the majority fighting forces of the SPLA in the early days of 1983-1986 and were 80% fighting forces in the front lines after merger of SPLA & Anya Anya II in 1988. that was why from 1989 on many towns starting with NASIR fell and other towns continue to fell there after. you know why is because the 80% of front lines fighting forces were all from Nuer.
If you termed traitors as some one who once been on Jallaba payroll and fighting against their brothers.
well, you don’t have to go far that’’SALVA KIIR and John Garang were intelligence officer and Military research director and intelligence serving th Niemeri Government during which Anya Anya II forces including the current Deputy commander in chief of the SPLA were fighting that regime(Niemiri) from 1975-1983.
So please, you shut you mouth up here in the United States or people like me will outed you with in the U.S government that you came here in the United States as a part of Sham scheme by John Garang to bring his own clan here at the expense of many orphans from other tribes.
Ethiopia base was established by Nuer before your uncle John Garang came along and hijacked it with the helped of Nuer officials in Ethiopia and Mengistu.
Now, where in the world did you (Dinka) ever start a thing before’’Nuer’?