Ethiopia will delay Nile treaty untill Egyptian Election
Tigrai Online
May 03 2011
Ethiopia has agreed to delay ratification of a treaty that strips Egypt of rights to the lion's share of the Nile river's waters until it has elected a new government, officials said on Tuesday.
Egypt has been at odds with upriver nations over changes to colonial-era treaties that gave it veto power over dam projects. Six Nile basin countries, including Ethiopia, have now signed the deal, effectively stripping Egypt of its veto.
Egypt, threatened by rising temperatures and a growing population, is almost entirely dependent on the Nile for its water and has been nervously watching hydropower dam projects take shape in upriver nations.
An Egyptian team of 48 politicians and activists visited Addis Ababa this week as part of a charm offensive to try to push for a compromise. The visit was coordinated with Egypt's Foreign Ministry. A delegation visited Uganda last month.