President of South Sudan, Salvat Kiir signs Cooperation Framework in the Nile Basin

Salva Kiir, the President of South Sudan and Chair of the East African Community, signed the agreement on August 1 to formally join the Nile River Basin Cooperation framework and submit it to the African Union.
This is almost a month after the National Legislative Assembly ratified the agreement. The Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation shared Kiir’s statement confirming his assent to the agreement on an official media accounts.
The agreement, which promotes bilateral and regional Cooperation, will allow South Sudan to utilize its hydropower potential, he added, and will offer sustainable economic growth, energy security, and regional power integrated cooperation.
The Nile Basin Initiative, an organization made up of 11 nations—Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Sudan, South Sudan, and Eritrea (as an observer) formed the Nile Treaty.
The pact stipulates equitable and reasonable use of the Nile waters, subsidiarity, and sustainable development.
Along with outlining the avoidance of major harm and each member state’s entitlement to utilize water on their territory, it also addresses data and information exchange, conservation, and protection.
In addition, the declaration requires member states to do environmental impact assessments and orbits, resolve conflicts amicably, recognize water as a scarce resource, value water both socially and economically, and provide water security.