THE SOURCE OF THE WHITE NILE, RWANDA.The River Nile has, of course, multiple sources, and no wonder that many countries claim to be the place wh...
Published on by Terje Tvedt, Professor in History and Political Science
The River Nile has, of course, multiple sources, and no wonder that many countries claim to be the place where this most mythical of all rivers comes from. This hike in Rwanda’s Nyungwe National Park together with soldiers of the Rwandan army lead us to the place where one can find water flowing into the White Nile that is furthest away from the Nile's outlet in the Mediterranean Sea.
The scene is taken from a TV-documentary made for Norwegian TV, telling the dramatic and fascinating story of the longest, most mythical and politically intriguing river in the world.
The film is based on my book "The Nile. History's Greatest River" (Bloomsbury/IB Tauris, 2021), which takes the reader on a voyage through 5000 years of history up the river from Egypt's coast to the sources of the Nile, through deserts, swamps and rainforests. On my way I talk to presidents, prime ministers and water experts and people living on the banks of the river and visit major dams and discuss plans for improving and controlling the river. The book aims at reconstructing and discussing the very long and dramatic quest for controlling the Nile. It presents new findings and perspectives for how the river and its crucial role in geopolitical and hydropolitical affairs can be understood. See https://www.amazon.co.uk/Nile-Historys-Greatest-iver/dp/0755616790?asin=0755616790&revisionId=&format=4&depth=1.
The entire TV-documentary has been made available at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCsTjcLEqZErDfVXi5pZr0VbQcz3G0Fs4.