East Sudanese farmers object to Saudi land lease

Farmers on the border of Kassala and El Gedaref states protest the lease of land to Saudi investors without prior consultation of the landowners.

The owners of farmland behind the Atbara and Setit (Seteet) dam complex, scheduled to start operating this month, consider the authorities’ lease of part of their land to Saudi investors without their consultation “a crime”.

Farmer Bishara El Daw told Radio Dabanga on Friday that “the people of the area are worthy of cultivating the area which the government has leased to the Saudis for a period of 99 years”.

He said that members of the National Parliament for Kassala and El Gedaref have raised questions about the lease. “They pointed out that the agreement with Saudi Arabia must be preceded by proactive compensation to those affected.”