Opinion | Where is South Sudan’s share in the Nile’s waters?

By Beek Mabior

OPINION – Water is life and it is one of the precious and life-saving commodities in the world. Every living human and other creatures on earth needs water for their survival. Plants and animals need water and they can’t live without them in this planet. Humans need water constantly for almost ninety per cent of their needs in life. Water is a golden resource in the world and every living soul desires it desperately. Moreover, water resources occupied seventy-five per cent of the earth. The almighty God created the water resources in order to help the living creatures in the universe. Furthermore, every country on earth have its own water resources in its territory.

Nations can’t survive without water resources. Water resources are vital to every country in the world. Water resources support many lifeline economic activities amongst countries globally. And this leads to the question; where is South Sudan’s share in the Nile’s waters? Do South Sudan have any share in the Nile waters? And who own the Nile river among the Nile basin countries? Is South Sudan benefiting sufficiently from the Nile river? Does South Sudan have ownership over the Nile’s waters that pass through its landscape? Why don South Sudan build hydroelectric power dams along the Nile River? Why is South Sudan not using Nile water for irrigation purposes and agricultural development?

Who dictate to our country not to adequately utilize Nile waters?  Why does Egypt support us to build fossil fuel power plants instead of hydroelectric power dams along the White Nile in our nation? South Sudan needs to be vigilant of political trickery and social engineering from outside powers with hidden agenda. Additionally, I ask the above questions because in order to truly know South Sudan’s position when it’s come to Nile waters. Our country needs to determine its current and future legitimate rights over the utilization of the Nile’s waters. Furthermore, we’ve witnessed and heard the dispute between Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia over the Nile waters that was engineered by the Ethiopian mega hydroelectric power dam that both Egypt and Sudan strongly oppose over the fear of their water security.

There’s a serious politicization of the Nile waters by some Nile basin countries and that is gravely dangerous for regional and continental stability and security in Africa. The Nile waters are politicized by some states in Africa. Moreover, in my equitable analysis and sincere opinion; I think the entire Nile basin nations have undeniable and equal shares and rights in the Nile waters and there’s no country that has supreme power and largest share than others in the Nile waters.  Furthermore, the utilization of the Nile waters needs to be fair and equitable amongst all Nile river countries in order to avoid nonsensical discords, hostilities and animosities over the Nile waters in Africa. All the Nile river nations needs to acknowledge with genuine sincerity that Nile waters belong to them all without any distinction whatsoever. There is a need for de-politicization and demilitarization of the Nile waters.

And there should be no country that should benefit less or more from Nile waters than other Nile basin nations. All the Nile basin nations must have fair, equitable and win-win shares and rights from the Nile waters. There should be no exploitation of Nile waters by any single Nile basin nation in Africa. Additionally, who gave the highest percentage and share in the Nile waters to Egypt as she claimed so? Who gave England powers to divide Nile waters and gave Egypt entitlement over the Nile? What percentage did British give our old Sudan so that we can mathematically and scientifically calculate what has remained with South Sudan after succession? What share was given to sisterly Ethiopia by British? What shares were given to Uganda, Kenya? Etc. I need Nile basin nations to have equitable and reasonable utilization of the Nile waters in order to prevent unnecessary bloodshed in Africa. Furthermore, the Great Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) must put into consideration the worries and complaints of other Nile basin countries and determine whether their concerns are legitimate or not.

The Ethiopian government should be open to negotiation and international arbitration in order to find a common ground and achieve win-win outcome and iron out the ongoing tensions with Egypt and Sudan. Additionally, Ethiopia has a right to utilize Nile waters that passes through its territory for her development needs and it is understandable. Moreover, we likewise need our gorgeous South Sudan to create hydroelectric power dams for its electrification and development needs. Additionally, Egypt must stop using threats against Ethiopia over the GERD. It is significant to remind them once again that they were not threatening by any Nile basin countries when they created Suez Canal and other hydroelectric power dams in Egypt.

Also, sister Sudan must also know that they were not threatening when they created three hydroelectric power dams along the Nile River. Neither Egypt nor Sudan did any consultation with other Nile river nations when they constructed their various hydroelectric power dams and agricultural plantations along the Nile. Nile basin countries should not politicize Nile waters.  They need to share Nile waters fairly and equitably. Egypt and Sudan should continue pursue international mediation and durable solution to resolve the ongoing dispute over the utilization of the Nile waters. Ethiopia must also not prolong the negotiation to find amicable Solution for a dispute that has taken several years to resolve. International bodies must be permits to mediate the dispute and Ethiopia must not rush with the second filling of GERD before amicable solution and consensus is found. It is a sensitive and controversial dispute and must be solve wisely.

Finally, all the Nile basin countries must sit down, talks and abolish British’s colonial treaty that unfairly gave highest percentage to Egypt. There’s a need for new consensus over the fresh sharing of the Nile waters in order to resolve the current and future disagreements over the Nile waters amongst the Nile basin nations. Also, agreement and cooperation are excellent than anything else. Moreover, South Sudan need to build her own hydroelectric power dams along the Nile River for its electrification and sustainable development. We should never be asking Egypt and Sudan to open the dams for us during the rainy season when the Nile River overflow and break its banks that always lead to flooding.

We should instead be opening up our own dams once we’ve built them and Egypt must know that fossil fuel power plants are no longer sustainable, desirable, affordable and marketable in South Sudan national development. We’ve loose desirability and faith in fossil fuel power plants. We need reliable hydroelectric power energy for South Sudan’s industrialization and Sustainable development in Africa. Hydroelectric power is much better with environment and we South Sudan Environmental Advocates (SSEA) need it for the safety of our environment and durable power supply in South Sudan.

The author is the National Project Coordinator of South Sudan Environmental Advocates (SSEA) and can be reached via email: beekmabior2020ssea@gmail.com Web: www.sseasouthsudan.org.

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