Inhabitants of the Warraq island in South Cairo refused on Monday agovernment-proposed settlement offering them new properties in social housing projects if they leave the contested land, Al Shorouk reports. The islanders defended their legal right to the land, claiming they have been paying their bills for years and that authorities are trying to unlawfully evict them from their homes. Warraq had been the sight of clashes that killed at least one person last month when security forces attempted to clear the area from what they claimed were illegal settlements and squatters.

Tags: