Water: After 10 years of negotiations, four countries sign Nile water agreement

Xinhua - Four countries in the Nile Basin have signed a new agreement on the equitable usage of the River Nile waters despite strong opposition from Egypt and Sudan.

Ethiopia, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda who signed the Agreement on the Nile River Basin Cooperative Framework here, 40 km south of the capital Kampala, said they could not wait any longer for Egypt and Sudan after 10 years of negotiations.

"If we weren't to sign today, I would assure you with certainty that we would go another 10 years or more without having reached an agreement," said Stanislas Kamanzi, Rwandese minister of environment and lands.

"The essence of getting together is about moving quickly in an inclusive manner based on the principles of equitable sharing of our resources to promote the development of our respective populations," he added.

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