Uganda's Museveni advises Nile Basin countries to exploit River Congo

Uganda’s president Yoweri Museveni on Tuesday advised African countries that share the River Nile to consider expanding their consumption to the River Congo, as a way of easing tensions.

Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia are currently navigating a stalemate over a giant dam that the latter is building on the Nile.

Museveni, who was addressing delegates at the 20th African Water Association (AFWA) International Congress held in Uganda’s capital, Kampala said countries should help the Democratic Republic of Congo achieve peace and security, so as to gain access to the River Congo’s water.

‘‘The water of the Nile is 85 billion cubic metres per year. People do not remember that Congo has 3,000 billion Cubic metres of water every year and yet you are spending a lot of time almost killing each other over the Nile,’‘ Museveni said on Monday.

The River Nile starts its 4,000km-journey to the Mediterranean Sea from Uganda, and its basin is shared by nine countries including Sudan, Burundi, Rwanda, Democratic Republic of Congo, Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia, and Egypt.