IT is very unfortunate that Nile Basin countries could not work out an agreement acceptable to all on equitable sharing of the Nile waters. Despite objections from Egypt and Sudan, a new deal was signed on Friday by Rwanda, Ethiopia, Uganda and Tanzania while Kenya issued a support statement.

Two other countries which also share the Nile -- Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo -- were not represented at the signing in the Ugandan town of Entebbe.

Egypt and Sudan stayed away from the meeting. Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit warned at the weekend that his country's water rights were a "red line" and threatened legal action if a partial agreement was reached.

At the root of the dispute is an agreement that gives Egypt the lion's share of the Nile's waters.

The 1959 accord gave Egypt 55.5 billion cubic metres of the Nile and 18.5 billion cubic metres to Sudan. The Entebbe agreement allows countries to use the waters as they please provided they do not harm others.

In notes exchanged in 1929 by the British and Egyptian governments, Britain promised not to undertake projects in its East African colonies that would interfere with Egypt's water supply. The notes give Egypt veto power over irrigation and hydropower projects in upstream countries. The new agreement deprives Egypt of that power.

Today, Egypt and Sudan fear that their water supply would be severely reduced if the seven other Nile users divert the river for domestic projects.

Egypt argues that the upstream countries get enough rains whereas it is dependent on the Nile for 96 per cent of its water needs. Egypt considers it a matter of national security. A report issued last year said that the country's water needs would surpass its resources by the year 2017.

There are numerous disputes over water around the world, including inter-state conflicts in countries like the US and India. While consumption of -- and thus demand for -- water increases, water shortages are becoming more common in some parts of the world. There are no magical solutions. Everyone wants water and no one is ready to make compromises. International experts even argue that the next major war will be over water rights.

In the case of Nile waters, there are suggestions of an unseen Israeli hand. Reports say that Israel wants apply indirect pressure on Egypt by helping some of the upstream countries to build dams in order to reduce the water flow in the Nile.

Egypt and Sudan have the right to take the signatories of the Entebbe agreement to international arbitration, but that would be a lengthy process and would only fuel the conflict rather than arriving at an early and equitable ruling.

The best way out will be for Egypt, Sudan and the upstream countries get together again for good faith negotiations for a deal fair and just to all after the Entebbe signatories agree to freeze the accord. Also, there has to be a definite time frame and deadline for an agreement among all the parties involves. That seems to be the only way to settle the conflict.