About 2,000 houses demolished in Sudan’s capital

Three basic schools and approximately 2,000 houses were demolished in a densely populated district in Omdurman, the twin city of Khartoum, on Thursday.

According to the authorities, the operation in El Hilla El Jadeeda district is part of the re-planning of the utmost western part of Omdurman.

One of the residents told Radio Dabanga that the authorities did not give them ultimatum to move their property, and “suddenly” began to demolish the buildings.

“A huge police force and a number of bulldozers raided El Hilla El Jadeeda on Thursday morning, and began destroying houses in El Samrab village, and parts of El Siferab.

“The prosecutor who accompanied the police showed us the mass demolisher order without specifying the reasons. He also could not inform us whether the area would be re-structured as a residential area or not.”

He reported that “more than 5,000 people are now living in the open, without any cover against the cold at night”.

The source explained that most of the affected residents originate from South Kordofan and Darfur. “They sought refuge in Khartoum from the armed conflicts in their home areas years ago, and were transported to the then desert land west of Omdurman. The non-planned settlement then grew rapidly as impoverished people from North and West Kordofan joined us.”

In August last year, hundreds of houses and a basic school were demolished in El Kheirat district in the south-eastern part of Khartoum. Most of the residents of El Kheirat were displaced people from Darfur. The houses were illegally built.