Security agents in the town of Kirma in Blue Nile carried out until Thursday a campaign of mass arrests among the citizens of the town, which is affected by plans to expand the Roseires dam reservoir. Residents are at odds with authorities over the amount of compensation they are to receive for their relocation from the area.
Speaking to Radio Tamazuj on Friday, sources said that security agents continued to arrest citizens in order to frighten and threaten those who are victims of the forcible relocation from the Roseires area.
‘By God, approximately before yesterday, they arrested something like more than 80 people from Kirma,’ said a source from Roseires. ‘Compensation is the problem because the dam people want to relocate the citizens to areas where they want them to reside then they will discuss the type of the houses and buildings, because it was 5000 pounds in the past but now they are talking of 500 pounds,’ he explained.
The arrests came after the citizens demonstrated against the Roseires management authorities earlier this week, demanding greater compensation for relocation from Roseires.
In the demonstrations held this week, the security men confronted the demonstrators with guns, shot two dead, wounded others, as well as arresting some of them.
This forced some youth and adults to take refuge in the surrounding hills for fear of their lives. The sources mentioned also that the number of the arrested people is approximately 80 persons including those who refused the decision of relocation by the authorities.