Egypt and Sudan have reiterated their rejection of the so-called "Cooperative Framework Agreement (CFA)" for the Nile Basin, stating that the agreement contravenes established international law and is not binding on either nation. This statement came from the Permanent Joint Technical Commission for Nile Waters (PJTC), which convened a meeting on October 11 and 12 to discuss key water issues related to the Nile Basin. The meeting was held in accordance with the 1959 Nile Waters Agreement between Egypt and Sudan. The PJTC emphasized that Egypt and Sudan have consistently sought to establish a consensual, all-inclusive mechanism for collaboration among all Nile Basin states, based on the fundamental principles of transboundary water cooperation. These principles include prior notification and consultations on projects based on thorough scientific assessments of the economic, social, and environmental impacts of such projects. The PJTC highlighted that the CFA, ratified by Ethiopia, Tanzania, Rwanda, Uganda, Burundi, and South Sudan, lacks the necessary consensus and fails to adhere to established principles of international law. The agreement was not ratified by Rwanda, Kenya, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, Egypt, and Sudan. "Both Egypt and Sudan reiterate their steadfast commitment to cooperation with all Nile Basin states, in accordance with internationally recognized principles that ensure benefits for all parties while preventing harm to any riparian state," the PJTC statement said. The Commission reaffirmed that the six-state commission established under the incomplete CFA draft cannot, under any circumstances, be regarded as representative of the Nile Basin as a whole. In light of their deep-rooted belief in the necessity and paramount importance of water cooperation in the Nile Basin, Egypt and Sudan called upon all Nile Basin states to restore the integrity of the Nile Basin Initiative and to refrain from any unilateral actions that may deepen divisions between upstream and downstream states. Both nations are firmly convinced that restoring the inclusivity of the Nile Basin Initiative represents the optimal path toward achieving consensus on a permanent, comprehensive all-inclusive framework and mechanism for Nile Basin cooperation.
