Feudal Remnants Resume Armed Conflict against al-Buhaira Farmers
The heirs of the Nawwār family could not find a more-opportune moment than the currently unstable phase of Egypt’s revolution to resume their attempts to recover plots taken from them by law in the agrarian reform of the last century. Lands held by feudal landlords then were distributed to the peasants. Previous attempts had failed, as notably in the events of 2005 in Sarando village, in the center for Damanhur Governorate.
Many of the people of the villages of Damanhur (located on the al-Shuka – al-Barnugy road) reported that the feudal Nawwār family had resumed armed violence against the people of Azab al-Ghafira, al-Namus, al-Mu`grin, among others. Furthermore they attacked `Izbat al-Barābra located near the village of Nadiba, original home and stronghold of the feudal family.
Summary of events:
- In the second week of June 2013, a number of militants armed with automatic rifles raided three villages, the first three above-mentioned villages, attacking the peasants randomly in the fields as a warning and a sample of intimidation to come, if the farmers do not give up their land, which they obtained through the official confiscation of the family’s feudal holdings. The peasants informed the police in Damanhur, recording the events in complaint No. 20.
- At two o`clock pm on 21 June, peasants of `Izbat al-Barābra were exposed to other armed attack by a group of six gunmen, while they were working in the fields. There, farmer Muhammad `Awad al-Barbary fell and immediately died of his gunshot injured. Upon hearing the sound of gunfire, the farmers of the area gathered and chased the attackers, managing to hit one of them (Abu al-Khair Himaida), who later died. At five o`clock in the afternoon, the police came to ascertain the facts, but long after the assailants had run away.
This armed violence was the only means available to recover the lands that they claim. Resorting to the court of law would be fruitless, since the Nawwārs lack any documents proving ownership of the land. (Most of the plots claimed by this family come under the same category of land with no legal owner, either originally obtained by theft or squatting.)
The Nawwār family had launched an armed campaign against the farmers of `Izbat Sarando, Damanhur on the morning of 4 March 2005. That took place with the agreement of local police and planned by detectives Muhammad Ammār and Fu’ad al-Gazzār,in order to dispossess farmers of lands that they obtained according the law of agrarian reform. That happened with also collusion the branch of the agrarian reform authority in Bihaira Governorate.
Despite this collusion, the Sarando attack ended in failure and scandal. Among the consequences was the intervention of the European Union to request that the prosecutor and the Ministry of Justice re-investigate the death of farmer Ms. Nafisa al-Marakbi, who died within 24 hours of being released from police custody. However, the pressure exerted by the police on the people had foiled the attempt of the EU and stopped the investigation into the circumstances of the crime.
Taking advantage of the tense atmosphere in Egypt, the feudal family has seized the opportunity to launch two campaigns on the four mentioned villages over the last two years to recapture the land. Where the police and army forces are preoccupied with the other events, the peasants of Damanhur remain on constant alert.
Bashir Saqr
Peasants Solidarity Committee - Egypt
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