Khartoum landlords fear renting former Darfur rebels
April 24, 2007 (KHARTOUM) — Landlords in the Sudanese capital refuse to rent houses to the members of the former rebel faction that signed peace deal with the government in May last year.
Landlords in Khartoum State fear and are refusing to rent their houses to former rebel Sudan Liberation Movement/Army soldiers of Mini Arkoi Minawi because of the last months clash between Minawi soldiers and the Sudanese police in Muhandisin and Al Muwrada in Omdurman West of Khartoum capital that has resulted to the dead of eleven from both sides.
On Sunday, it was discovered that the SLM/A have rented a house in Kafuri in Khartoum North without notifying the landlord that they were Minawi soldiers. When they were discovered to be from Minawi soldiers, it has created fears among the residents in the area.
Rt. Police Major General Mahjub Hamza in Kafuri residential area has expressed his fears from renting a house in Kafuri area “Block 8” to guards belonging to Minawi movements that signed on the Abuja peace agreement.
He added that there are precedents in other areas of the capital city such as what had happened in Muhandesin and ‘Mowrada, which causes problems that they do not want it to happen in Block 8’.
He explained that they do not have any objections on residing any Sudanese citizen, but they have objection over two issues: turning the house into military dwelling and presence of arms, which threatens the residence and families.
But Minawi the head of the SLM/A and the senior assistant to the president of the Republic of Sudan Omar al-Bashir said no one can prevent his soldiers renting in any part of the capital Khartoum as long as they are Sudanese.
(ST)