SUMMARY

Ethiopia, Sudan, and Egypt are African countries sharing several socioeconomic, cultural, and natural resources.

The Nile Basin Initiative (NBI) is a cooperative framework established in 1999 by the Nile River basin countries—Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Burundi, Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Eritrea (as an observer)—to promote sustainable development and equitable use of the Nile’s water resources. The NBI aims to foster regional cooperation, enhance socioeconomic benefits, and ensure peace and security among the member states.

Key Conventions and Agreements

Historical Treaties: The NBI is built upon earlier agreements, notably the 1929 and 1959 treaties, which allocated water resources primarily to Egypt and Sudan, leaving upstream countries without formal allocations. The 1959 Agreement allocated 55.5 billion cubic meters (BCM) to Egypt and 18.5 BCM to Sudan, while committing both countries to present a united front against upstream claims