Sudanese authorities demolish shanty town in Khartoum
November 27, 2008 (KHARTOUM) — Sudanese police forces demolished some 10,000 homes in a shanty town south of Khartoum, using tear gas to disperse protesting residents.
During the past years, the Khartoum state authorities destroyed thousands of homes in Khartoum suburbs’ camps, which inhabited by displaced from southern Sudan and the war ravaged Darfur.
Khartoum authorities say they want to demolish the slums to relocate residents to permanent, planned housing plots.
Khartoum State police demolished the homes to about 50,000 people in the Mandela slum on Wednesday, a Sudanese official said. “The demolitions were done for the purposes of urban planning,” he further said.
Thousands of police and soldiers have cordoned off the remains of the shanty town, 10 kilometers south of Khartoum, they also turned journalist away from the area.
One of the resident said the police used tear gas to enforce the evacuations.
But the United Nations mission in Sudan in the past criticizes this forcible relocation, saying the authorities have failed to consult the people being moved, and that refugees were being moved to desert areas far from the capital and where there are no services.
(ST)
Jacob Akech
Sudanese authorities demolish shanty town in Khartoum
What a shame!
This is rediculous! How can a government demolished the slums without the knowledge from those who are living in the slums and also without any gurantee of where to move the population! bashir goverment is not yet satisfied with its atrocities and act of demoans against the very people who are supposed to be protected! If a government want to make a development, those who are going to be displaced by the development project should have some houses organise by the government and give them compensation in case for the displace people to go and buy a land or a house somewhere!
This is the government which is led by dumb, selfish, oafish, savage and barbaric people such as omar bashir himself. How can you treat the people who are the government! You can not be a president without people (communities). You lead the people, without people, there is no presidency!
bashir can not adopt what robert mugbe has done to his people in Harare slums in 2005! You don’t make fun with your own people! This demolition of the slums in Khartoum shows that bashir himself is not qualified for the position of president! Abusing your power is nothing than a lack of political skills!
My heartfell goes to those who are suffering in the scourge conditions in the desert of Khartoum!