International law on trans-boundary River reaffirms Ethiopia’s stand

Amir Abdullah International law on trans-boundary River reaffirms Ethiopia’s stand
Wednesday, 27 April 2011

Addis Ababa, April 27 (WIC) – International law on the use of trans-boundary rivers very well supports Ethiopia’s stand, a high level legal and diplomatic expert said.

Ambassador Hailu W. Giorgis, who served as legal advisor in the former Organization of African Unity (OAU) and as state minister and head of African Unity Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA), said that all riparian countries have the right to utilize water that flows through their territory without jeopardizing the water security of the countries downstream.

“The 1997 ruling of the International Court of Justice to resolve the dispute between Hungary and Slovakia supports Ethiopia’s stand on the use of the Nile River,” Ambassador Hailu told WIC in an exclusive interview.

In 1977 Hungary and Czechoslovakia concluded Treaty which provided for the construction of a major hydroelectric dam project on the Danube as a "joint investment". The case was taken to the ICJ when Hungary subsequently abandoned its part of the Project.

The Court, which found both parties as breaching their agreement, held that Hungary was not entitled to suspend and subsequently abandon the works and Czechoslovakia was entitled to proceed to the "provisional solution" which included damming the river at a different location. The Court also called on both states to negotiate in good faith and take all necessary measures in order to ensure the achievement of the objectives of the 1977 Budapest Treaty.

“All over the world including Africa international rivers are utilized with cooperation between riparian countries,” Ambassador Hailu said. “It is only the Nile River which was denied of such cooperation for a long time”.

After years of negotiations, the Cooperative Framework Agreement (CFA) for equitable utilization of the Nile River was opened for signature last year. It has so far been signed by six of the riparian countries and awaits ratification in their domestic law.

“The utilization of the Nile River should no longer be presented as an issue of Egypt and Ethiopia only,” the Ambassador said. “Now, it also concerns the riparian countries who expressed their position by signing the agreement”.

Ambassador Hailu, who wrote a book (le abay wuha mugit) which deals with Ethiopia’s legal right to utilize the Nile River, finally urged the country to intensify its diplomatic efforts to shape the minds of ordinary Egyptians and the rest of the international community as to the benefits of the Great Ethiopian Renaissance dam which is being built on the Nile River.