published on Kujenga Amani March 14, 2018
Post-independence (Eastern) Nile hydro-politics can be seen as a series of missed opportunities for cooperation. Failing to commit to the Declaration of Principles (DoP) on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam signed between Egypt, Ethiopia, and Sudan in March 2015 will be another opportunity missed. To ensure the implementation of the declaration, a new comprehensive deal between Eastern Nile countries that goes beyond the Nile waters is needed. The deal should offer real benefits to each side in return for concessions, and be guided by the general principles of refraining from using water as a political weapon and from interfering in other countries' domestic affairs and joint cooperation based on equal partnership to optimize the use of available, including alternative water resources in Eastern Nile countries.