Three African leaders sign deal to end Nile dispute
Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan have signed an initial deal to end a long-running dispute over the sharing of water from the Nile River that goes through the three countries.
Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, Sudanese President Omar Bashir and Ethiopian Premier Hailemariam Desalegn signed the agreement in Sudan's capital, Khartoum.
The three African leaders also welcomed the agreement in speeches in Khartoum's Republican Palace on Monday.
A short film was also screened about the Ethiopia's Grand Renaissance Dam that highlighted how it could benefit the region.
Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi (L), Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir (C) and Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn shake hands during a meeting in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, on March 23, 2015. (AFP photo)
Egyptian authorities had previously voiced fears that the hydroelectric project would diminish Cairo's share of water from the Nile. The river provides almost all of the desert nation's water needs.
Egypt is struggling with a water crisis as its population continues to grow. In the 1960s, the average water share per person was 2,800 cubic meters. Now, the figure has dropped to 600 cubic meters, much below the poverty line, which is 1,000 cubic meters per person.
Ethiopia hopes that the new dam will eventually alleviate some of its electricity shortages by providing 6,000 megawatts of power.
Egyptian fishermen throw a net into the Nile river in Cairo on December 17, 2014. ( AFP photo)
Egypt was apparently caught by surprise when Ethiopia began diverting the flow of the Nile for the construction of the dam last year. Senior authorities in Addis Ababa defended their decision by saying that the river will be slightly diverted but will then be able to follow its natural course.
Ethiopia's lawmakers also ratified a controversial treaty to replace colonial-era accords that gave Egypt and Sudan the biggest share of the Nile water.
JR/KA/SS
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