A Call for Fairness: Why “Historic Rights” Are Unjust

August 15, 2025

The waters of the Nile have for too long been clouded by colonial shadows. This week, Uganda’s President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni spoke with clarity in Cairo, challenging Egypt’s entrenched claim of “historic rights” to the Nile River—a claim rooted not in equity or modern international law, but in outdated colonial-era treaties that ignore the realities of today.

President Museveni’s message was both simple and profound: the future of the Nile must not be held hostage to the past. In his joint press conference with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, he made it clear that Egypt’s reliance on agreements drawn up under British colonial authority is incompatible with the spirit of African unity and development. These agreements were crafted without the participation or consent of upstream nations like Uganda, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, or South Sudan. To continue invoking them as binding in the 21st century is to perpetuate an injustice born in another age.

The notion of “historic right” to the Nile’s waters implies a hierarchy among nations—a suggestion that Egypt’s needs are inherently greater than those of other basin states. But as President Museveni asked pointedly, “What about us?” This question resonates powerfully in Addis Ababa, Kampala, Juba, and beyond. For countries striving to harness the Nile for electricity, agriculture, sanitation, and drinking water, Egypt’s position has often acted as a brake on cooperation.

Museveni’s call is not for confrontation but for a broader, more inclusive vision: prosperity for all, electricity for all, irrigation for all, and clean drinking water for all. This is not just political rhetoric—it is a practical roadmap for transforming the Nile from a source of tension into a shared engine of development. By using “the most scientific and fair methods,” as Museveni proposed, the basin states can ensure that no nation is left behind in the race toward modern infrastructure, food security, and economic growth.

Egypt’s leaders, to their credit, acknowledged during the Cairo talks that mutual benefit and joint action are essential. But this verbal agreement must be matched by a willingness to discard outdated assumptions. Clinging to colonial treaties while speaking of cooperation is like sailing against the current—it slows progress and erodes trust.

Ethiopia, for its part, has long championed fair and sustainable use of the Nile’s waters. The formation of the Nile Basin Initiative (NBI) stands as a testament to what is possible when nations come together in good faith. The NBI’s framework, which promotes fair sharing, joint investment, and ecological preservation, offers a modern alternative to the rigid and exclusionary arrangements of the past.

It is worth remembering that the Nile’s potential is far greater than its history of disputes. As Museveni observed, the river could serve not only as a source of water and power, but also as a commercial and cultural link from the heart of Africa to the Mediterranean Sea. Unlocking this potential requires trust, shared vision, and a commitment to principles that prioritize present and future needs over antiquated privileges.

The time has come for Egypt to fully embrace this modern approach. The concept of “historic rights” belongs in the archives of colonial history, not in the policy documents of sovereign African states. In an era when the continent is striving for economic integration through initiatives like the African Continental Free Trade Area, it is both illogical and self-defeating to let outdated treaties dictate the future of Africa’s most important waterway.

Museveni’s words in Cairo should mark the beginning of a new chapter a chapter where the Nile is managed as a shared heritage, a common lifeline, and a catalyst for collective prosperity. Ethiopia stands ready, as always, to work with all basin countries toward a fair, scientific, and forward-looking framework. The alternative clinging to colonial constructs only guarantees more mistrust and missed opportunities.

THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD FRIDAY 15 AUGUST 2025