Kanabi Conference Calls for Protection of Residents’ Rights in the Gezira Scheme

The Central Committee of the Kanabi Conference condemned statements attributed to Ibrahim Mustafa, Director of the Gezira Scheme, regarding the prohibition and restriction of the sale and purchase of agricultural plots (hawashas) in the Gezira and Al-Manaqil schemes. Such measures could have direct consequences for a large number of Kanabi residents who have invested their money and savings in transactions involving the ownership of agricultural plots and portions thereof.

In a statement, the Central Committee said: “The existence of potential violations in some transactions, if established through legal procedures, does not necessarily mean that all other ongoing transactions are illegal, nor does it justify treating all buyers and rights holders in the same manner without examining each case individually.”

The committee explained that if there are legal or regulatory restrictions on the transfer or disposal of agricultural plots or portions thereof, citizens have the right to know the laws, regulations, guidelines, and decisions on which the competent authorities are relying, how they are being applied, and whether they apply uniformly to all citizens without discrimination.

It called for the suspension of any collective measures that could result in the cancellation, withdrawal, or restriction of the rights of owners of agricultural plots or disputed portions thereof until each case is reviewed independently and its legal status is determined.