Of the more than 300 million inhabitants in the ten riparian states, the Nile River Basin is home to nearly 160 million people. The interlocking controversies surrounding the utilisation of the waters of the Nile River and the resources therein have centered on the 1929 Anglo-Egyptian and the 1959 Egypto-Sudanese treaties, which have largely ignored the interests of the upstream states. Through the initiative of the Nile Basin Initiative (NBI) established in 1999, the riparian states concluded, in 2010, the Agreement on the River Nile Basin Cooperative Framework (CFA) based on the principle of equitable and reasonable utilisation. This book addresses the complexities inherent in the colonial and post-colonial treaties and agreements and their implications on the interests of the riparian states and the region in general. It is the first book of its kind that covers the ten riparian states in a single volume and deals comprehensively with politico-legal questions in the Nile River Basin as well as conventions on the international water courses and their relevance to the region. 284pp, SOUTH AFRICA. AFRICA INSTITUTE OF SOUTH AFRICA.

Weaves together three themes: the political relationship between successive Ethiopian and Egyptian regimes; the complex connection between the Christian churches in the two countries; and the influence of the Nile river system on Ethiopian and Egyptian definitions of national identity and mutual perceptions of the Other. Map, notes, bib, index, x, 249pp, USA. RIENNER, 1555879705

A study of the conflicting interpretations by Egyptians, Sudanese and European writers of the history of the Nile Valley during four periods: Egypt's rule in the Sudan from 1821 to 1885, the Mahdist state from 1885 to 1898, the strugle for independence from 1952 to 1955 and finally the Sudan's civil war between the dominant Muslim north and the non-Muslim south. Index, bib, maps, xviii, USA. NOW OUT OF PRINT.. NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY PRESS.

1992 185065140X Hardback

MEDIEVAL KINGDOMS OF NUBIA: Pagans, Christians and Muslims along the Middle Nile

An account of the turbulent history of the Nubian kingdoms in the medieval period, from the end of the Kushite period to their final collapse in the 16th century AD. 19 col & 103 b/w ill, app, notes, bib, index, 295pp, UK. BRITISH MUSEUM PRESS, 0714119474

A biography of the Nile looking at its geography and history, the civilisations that developed on its banks, and the people that continue to live in Egypt, Uganda, the Sudan, Uganda and Ethiopia. Accompanies the BBC series. Richly illustrated with colour photographs and other images. Index, 168pp, UK. BBC, 0563487135

2004 Hardback

Past and future interactions of civilisations, people and nature with this great river. BNS, 384pp, USA. YALE UNIVERSITY PRESS, 0300097646

This review discusses and covers a wide range of issues, including the debate on water scarcity and its consequences and implications; the legal aspects of utilization of the Nile waters focusing on the UN Watercourse Convention of 1997; conflicts and major attempts at cooperation; divergent views and interests of the basin countries; and challenges and prospects for basin wide cooperation. Current African Affairs No. 26. Map, refs, 41pp, SWEDEN. NORDIC AFRICA INSTITUTE, 9171065121

2003 A4 pamphlet

Africa's longest river, the Nile, winds some 4,100 miles from the heart of the continent to the Mediterranean. This book traces the river's route from Uganda, across Ethiopia, Sudan and finally Egypt, capturing its beauty and many different phases and moods. 207 illustrations, 183 in colour. 272pp, UK. THAMES & HUDSON.

'I recommend Dr. Tafesse's book to all readers who wish to understand the hydropolitical intricacies, legal debates and cooperative endeavors that have enveloped the Nile Basin. His comparative analysis with some other transboundary river basins in the Third World also makes the book relevant and worth reading to others who have an interest in water geopolitics.' Prof. Dr. H.-J. Wenzel. Map, tables, notes, bib, index, xvi, 154pp, GERMANY. LIT VERLAG, 3825856305

Ranging from antiquity, through the colonial period and on to post independence, these essays examine race, racism, ethnicity and identity in Egypt and the Sudan. Provides an anthropological and cultural background to present crises in the Nile Valley. Each chapter carries its own notes and bibliography. Index, b/w illus, xxviii, 292pp, USA. AFRICA WORLD PRESS.

Study of the famous controversy between Richard Burton and John Hanning Speke, fellow explorers who quarrelled over Speke's claim to have discovered the source of the Nile. The controversy ended with Speke's shocking death of a gunshot wound on the eve of a debate by the two men in 1864. In the large literature generated by the controversy, Burton (the better known of the two) has usually had the upper hand. Speke has sometimes been called a cad. On the basis of new evidence and a careful reading of duelling texts by the two men, this study concludes that the case against Speke remains unproven - and that the entire narrative, as it has become ingrained, is an example of the uncertainty to which historical narratives are subject. 160pp, USA. STANFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS. DELAY.