Egypt dislodges residents of century-old floating houses on the Nile
A government boat tows a houseboat on the Nile opposite the Imbaba police station, in Cairo on June 28, 2022. © Amr Abdallah Dalsh / Reuters
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In Egypt, about thirty floating houses on the Nile will be auctioned off or destroyed by order of the government.
The authorities now only want commercial activities along the banks.
The inhabitants, who have only a few days to leave their house and without rehousing, are indignant.
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With our correspondent in Cairo,
Édouard Dropsy
Excavators have begun their demolition work, century-old houses are stripped from the Nile.
At 88, her back bent, Ikhlas Ibrahim emptied hers, which she had bought 25 years ago: “
We are thrown into the street
?
Where am I going
?
They throw me on the sidewalk in the street
?
This is my home, this is my life
!
If I leave here, I die
!
“, she is indignant in French.
The Egyptian government is asking for tens of thousands of euros in new, retroactive taxes.
Last week, he gave residents a few days to vacate the premises.
The author Ahdaf Soueif, she does not understand the absurdity of the situation: “
They say that we were polluting the river and that we were an affront to the civilizational aspect of the Nile.
It's very strange because it's such a piece of heritage, like you know, the culture of the city.
They are icons.
»
If no compromise with the government is found within the next few days, this heritage of Egyptian culture will be dismembered, to make way for restaurant chains.
Floating houses on the Nile likely to be demolished, resold or moved by Egyptian authorities, in Cairo on June 28, 2022. © Amr Abdallah Dalsh / Reuters
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To read also: Will Egypt go through with the announced privatizations?
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