Ethiopia: Riparian Countries Need to Support Ethiopia’s Effort for Equitable Use of Nile Waters – Ugandan Journalist
Addis Ababa — The River Nile riparian countries need to support Ethiopia’s effort to ensure equitable and reasonable utilization of transboundary water resources, Ugandan Journalist Kungu Al-mahadi Adam said.
The second Africa-run High-Level Forum on Equitable and Reasonable Utilization of Transboundary watercourses in Africa was held recently in Addis Ababa under the theme: “Equitable and Reasonable Utilization of Transboundary Watercourses: A Key to Africa’s Prosperity.”
The overall purpose of the conference remains to ensure equitable and reasonable utilization of the transboundary water resources through promotion and exchange of experiences and scientific researches, it was learned.
Plus News Uganda Managing Editor, Kungu Al-mahadi Adam, who attended the forum told ENA that today, most countries are tapping into the existing resources with the hope that their people get out of poverty.
Adam stressed that the upper and lower riparian countries of River Nile, all of them can equally tap into the benefits of this resource.
Praising Ethiopia for its effort to ensure equitable and reasonable utilization of transboundary watercourses, he urged other riparian countries to support Ethiopia’s effort based on the international principle of equitable and reasonable utilization of trans-boundary waters.
Citing that Nile has eleven riparian countries, however, he underscored that countries have not extended deservedly enough support to Ethiopia to end the historical injustice imposed on utilization of the Nile.
In this regard, every country in a river basin or in a transboundary water resource has all the rights to use this resource to their own benefit based on the principle of equitable and reasonable utilization of trans-boundary waters, he affirmed.
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Stating that Nile is one of those trans-boundary waters resources, he said “I urge other riparian countries to support Ethiopia in rejecting the historical injustice of the utilization of the Nile River.”
Similarly, Kenya-Ethiopia Friends Association Chairman Joe Akech said that what Ethiopia has done, should be commended for contributing quite well in enhancing the cooperation.
“The cooperation that is going to bring the East Africa and Central African countries particularly the ones very close to the River Nile, what Ethiopia has done should be commended because it is contributing well.”
During the second Afri-run high-level forum, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Demeke Mekonnen urged riparian states for an equitable and reasonable use of the Nile River.
He further noted that lack of political will and hegemonic tendencies over shared resources immensely contribute to little or no cooperation.
“It is high time that we redouble efforts to deal with the challenges building on the great strides we have made in the past to ensure equitable and reasonable use of trans-boundary resources,” he pointed out.
Nile, which is the longest river in the world, has eleven riparian countries; namely- Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Sudan, South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda.
