Thausands displaced in North Sudan by Government Dam Project

LOHAP ( London)

Sudan Government has ordered the closure of Merowe dam on the river Nile fourth cataracts without agreeing on resettlement terms with the affected communities.

In August 2008, more than 3000 families – numbering an estimated 15000 to 16000 people were made homeless in Berti Island and surrounding areas ( roughly 20 km upstream from the dam site). On Sep 30^th the dam authority raised water level even further displacing another 3000 families - a 100 km upstream from the dam site- raising the number   of displaced people to more than 30,000 .

Sherri Island, the second largest Island on the river Nile course is now threatened by the rising water. News from the Manasir area and from inside the Island says that more than 10,000 villagers from around the area rushed to the Island on the morning of the Eid Celebrations Day to rescue families living there. The estimated 200 km2 island,   which has a population of more than one thousand families, is an area of great historical significance and is rich in internationally important archaeological sites. It is also an area of outstanding   natural beauty.. The Island is also a major regional centre – it has several schools where local children from outlying villages board, in addition to a hospital and the offices of the local council representing the nearby villages.

Villagers say the dam authority is deliberately targeting the Island because it has been the cradle of the movement against the authorities’ plan to move those affected by the Merowe dam to distant and poorly prepared desert resettlement camps. In 2006, an office belonging to the dam authority was destroyed when the officials threatened to submerge local residents “like rats” and kick them out to the desert. Since then, the Island has witnessed a rising opposition to the resettlement projects.

Reports from the Island say that villagers are working day and night to protect public buildings, including two primary schools, two high secondary schools, the hospital, and the local council buildings. Tens of thousands of jute sacks have been filled with sand to use as flood defenses around     these buildings. Mohmed Hussain, a local leader says: “ This expression of solidarity is just beyond anybody’s belief. We never thought that so many people could gather on our island ... and I want to send a clear message to the dam authority:   no force on this earth will force us out of our land... we will not be moved.”.

Earlier this year, in July, local people reacted to previous attempts to flood them out of their homes by moving to pre-prepared encampments, built in anticipation of the dam authorities exploiting the annual flood to force people to move. However, this latest incident has flooded a far wider area than villagers anticipated.   Members of the Manasir Executive Committee in Khartoum have accused the Federal   and Nile state governments of deliberately preventing relief aid, medicine, tents   from being shipped to the area. Since July 2008, the area has been cordoned to outsiders and journalists have been deprived access to the area. Last June, the government refused to grant UN human Rapportuer Sima Samar permission to enter the area.

In July, the Manasir Committee issued statement addressed to international Community asking for relief aid requesting more pressure on the government to open the area for media and access of relief agencies.

According to Manasir Committee members the numbers of displaced could reach ten thousands families (50,000 people) by mid- October.

The conflict between the dam authority and the Manasir Community centres on resettlement. Whereas the Manasir want to be resettled around the dam’s reservoir, the government insists on moving them to desert locations. The government has failed to honour two agreements it has signed with the Manasir undertaking to resettle them around the reservoir.

Merowe dam (locally known as Hamdab dam) is a mega hydroelectric project expected to be completed by the end of 2008. The project is supported by China Exim bank and a number of Arab development funds. Two European Companies are providing vital services to the project. Lahmeyer International ( Germany) is the dam’s technical consultant, and Alstom (France) is supplying ten power turbines.