Sudan’s Government of Peace and Unity has accused the Port Sudan authorities of pursuing discriminatory policies against communities originating from western Sudan after the demolition of homes belonging to hundreds of families in Gezira state.
In a statement issued on November 7, the TASIS-aligned government condemned the destruction of residential properties in Tayba Sheikh Abdel Bagi, also known as Azraq Tayba, where disputed land-clearance operations have displaced families and sparked accusations of ethnic discrimination.
Government spokesperson and Information Minister Khalid Ahmed Danaa said the demolitions had affected more than 200 families, leaving residents facing severe material losses and displacement.
The government alleged that the operation was conducted under the supervision of state authorities, with the participation of land administration officials, intelligence personnel, police and other security agencies.
It accused the Port Sudan administration of targeting communities associated with Darfur, Kordofan and other historically marginalised regions.
TASIS denounces alleged discriminatory policies
The Government of Peace and Unity described the demolitions as part of a wider pattern of discriminatory treatment affecting communities from western Sudan.
It linked the operation to previous housing demolitions and displacement complaints in Khartoum, Omdurman and other areas under military control.
According to the statement, the authorities have increasingly used administrative and legal procedures against vulnerable communities, raising concerns about equal citizenship, property rights and protection from discrimination.
TASIS called on national and international human rights organisations to investigate the demolitions, document the experiences of affected families and pursue accountability for any violations.
The government also urged community and religious leaders in Gezira to preserve peaceful coexistence and reject efforts to inflame ethnic tensions.
Residents report losing homes
The demolitions have also drawn criticism from local organisations.
The Kanabi Conference, which represents communities associated with agricultural settlements in central Sudan, reported that more than 200 homes had been demolished, while additional properties faced the threat of removal.
The Sudanese rights organisation MISHAD separately reported the destruction of approximately 200 homes, leaving affected families, including women and children, without adequate shelter.
Some residents said they possessed documents supporting their ownership claims and had occupied the properties for years.
However, accounts differ over the number of demolished buildings and displaced families, and no independently verified final assessment has been published.
Local representatives dispute ethnic targeting allegations
The demolitions have also become the subject of a dispute over land ownership and legal procedures.
A representative of the Wad Madani resistance committees told Ultra Sudan that the case originated in a longstanding land dispute and that court proceedings had resulted in demolition orders.
A local statement also rejected accusations of ethnic discrimination, maintaining that the operation concerned alleged violations of land ownership regulations.
Those explanations have been challenged by affected residents and organisations questioning the legality, timing and humanitarian consequences of the removals.
The available evidence does not conclusively establish whether the operation was ethnically motivated or whether the necessary legal protections were followed.
The controversy has nevertheless intensified scrutiny of the treatment of communities from western Sudan in territories administered by the Port Sudan authorities.
For TASIS, the demolitions have become another point of contention in the wider dispute over political authority, minority protections and equal citizenship in Sudan.
The Government of Peace and Unity said those responsible for unlawful displacement and discriminatory treatment must be held accountable.
