CAIRO: Burundi has become the sixth African Country to sign the Entebbe-Agreement calling for Nile Basin countries to modify the old pact and re-allocate the shares of water from the Nile River. Burundi's step, which comes at a tough period for Egypt, paved the way for the agreement to be ratified. By the end of last year, before the fall of the regime of Hosni Mubarak in Egypt, Burundi vowed not to act in any manner that harms Egypt`s interests. The agreement known as the Nile Basin Initiative was signed on Monday, making Burundi the sixth Nile Basin Country to sign the agreement. The initiative is opposed by Egypt and Sudan, who receive the lion`s share of the Nile River. The Initiative was signed last year by Ethiopia, Tanzania, Rwanda, Uganda and Kenya. Congo promised to sign the initiative but has not so far. Egypt receives most of the Nile`s water share under a treaty that dates back to 1929, but it might lose its power and some of its share if these countries ratify the new Agreement, and Egypt would lose it is power to veto any projects proposed by other countries such as the construction of dams that could affect Egypt`s share of water Egypt and Sudan also expressed concern that the new treaty will affect their shares of water. Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiq assigned the caretaker government and both Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Irrigation and Water Resources to check the authenticity of the signing of Burundi of the Entebbe Agreement. Magdy Radi, a spokesman for the Egyptian Cabinet, said that Egypt will continue to maintain diplomacy, and will not halt negotiations with the Nile Basin Countries in order to achieve a balanced agreement. However, an official source told local newspapers “Burundi took advantage of the political turmoil in Egypt and the instability in the region and has signed the agreement and expressed fear of the signing of the rest of the countries like Burundi, under the current circumstances in Egypt.” Ambassador Mona Omar, Assistant Foreign Minister for African Affairs, said the new Nile Basin Agreement is non-binding to Egypt because it is not a party, even if it is ratified by the parliaments of these countries and enters the implementation phase. Omar said talks must take place in Egypt between ministries and agencies concerned with the situation to discuss steps that could be taken by Egypt and to deal with new development. Omar pointed out that Egypt has not halted its talks with countries that signed the agreement from the outset, such as Uganda, Ethiopia, and Tanzania. Tensions in the Nile Basin between upstream and downstream countries have long been a key diplomatic issue for Egypt which was blamed for its lack of diplomatic attention towards African countries. Under the Framework Agreement, Ethiopia intends to build dams and export power to neighboring countries and implementing other irrigation projects. The 1929 treaty was signed with the Egyptian government by imperial Britain for the distribution of Nile water. It granted Egypt 55.5 billion square meters of water annually, out of the estimated total 84 billion square meters, and Egypt enjoys a veto to any irrigation or projects proposed by upstream countries. Under a 1959 Nile water agreement with Sudan, Egypt still receives the lion's share of Nile water. Sudan, the second largest recipient, received 18 billion cubic meters per year. BM
