“Egypt is actively working to prevent the reorganization”- NBI Advisor
A new institution, tentatively called the Nile River Basin Commission, is set to be formed in September, according to the Nile Basin Initiative (NBI). A special committee has been established to mediate with countries that have not signed or ratified the Nile River Basin Cooperative Framework Agreement (CFA).
The primary countries yet to ratify the agreement—Egypt, Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Kenya—continue to face pressure to do so.
Michael Kiza, a water programs advisor at the NBI, told The Reporter that after the CFA was approved by the legislatures of most member states, the African Union (AU) decided to make the agreement binding and establish a formal institution to implement it. However, four member states, including Egypt, opposed the move.
“NBI supports some of the meetings, but the process is country-led,” Kiza said. “So there are two critical processes: one is engaging the countries that haven’t ratified the agreement, and the other involves setting up the new commission. These processes are led by the member states, not by the NBI. For example, Egypt is actively working to prevent the reorganization.”
Kiza noted that the four countries remaining neutral so far or actively opposing the AU decision are still being encouraged to ratify the agreement. While the establishment of a new institution could proceed based on the AU’s ratification, a special committee has been formed to negotiate with the dissenting countries to bring them on board.
“Countries like Egypt are working to counter the creation of this institution, which will implement the agreement based on AU ratification,” he explained. “Since differences still persist, additional negotiations have been planned.”
The special committee charged with the task is composed of water ministers from Nile Basin countries.
Kiza acknowledged that member states may take different positions on some issues to protect their national interests, but he expressed confidence that such differences would be resolved over time.
The Ugandan Ministry of Water, which currently hosts the Nile Basin Initiative Secretariat in Entebbe, is also coordinating the special committee.
The committee’s responsibilities include persuading the four countries to ratify the agreement, promoting equitable water sharing among member states, and fostering cooperation on climate change, environmental protection, and other shared priorities.
“The special committee has already held meetings with Egypt and Sudan in May. More meetings are planned for early July with the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Kenya. Of course, there are differences among countries, but that’s not unusual—these are sovereign issues. Still, there is a process in place to address them. The countries have made significant efforts toward joint water management. After all, the Nile and its resources are transboundary,” said Kiza.
If the remaining countries refuse to sign and ratify the agreement, a new institution will be formed regardless, based on the African Union’s ratification.
Beyond its main mission, the special committee is also tasked with recommending the headquarters for the new institution, determining its name, and addressing the future of the current Nile Basin States Framework, which was established 26 years ago.
The committee has until September 2025 to finalize its two main plans.
When asked about the new organization and its headquarters, Kiza said, “The headquarters for Nile cooperation will remain in Entebbe, Uganda. The exact path forward still needs to be worked out, but the intention is for the ‘Nile River Basin Commission,’ once established, to lead all cooperative efforts among the member countries.”
To date, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, Burundi, and South Sudan have signed and ratified the CFA. Egypt and Sudan have neither signed nor ratified it. Kenya has signed but is yet to ratify the agreement, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Eritrea are currently participating as observers.
The Nile River Basin Commission when operationalized is an intergovernmental body that will legally take over the Nile Basin Initiative, which will then be neutralized with all its assets and structures transferred. The NRBC will have the mandate to promulgate all laws concerning the management and utilization of the Nile, direct river-wide cooperation in the spirit of equitable cooperation, and solicit international financing for implementation of specific projects within the basin, according to experts in the field.
