Egypt brings long-awaited compensation to thousands of Nubians
The Egyptian government made a show of providing compensation to thousands of displaced Nubians last month, but they still cling to the hope of returning to their lost land.
The high-profile ceremony Jan. 20 in which thousands of Nubians were officially compensated for their lost land was beyond their dreams. Nevertheless, some are still clinging to the possibility of returning to their ancestral land at Egypt's border with Sudan, no matter how slim this possibility may be.
It's been over a century since Nubians experienced their first displacement in 1902 when the construction of the Aswan Low Dam — currently known as the Aswan reservoir — began and they had to move from their ancient hometown stretched along the banks of the Nile River in southern Egypt. Still others were forced to move in 1912 and 1933, with the heightening waters of the Aswan Low Dam.
Then came the construction of the Aswan High Dam in 1963, which forced even more — some 55,000 people — to leave their historically affluent area.
Since then, Nubians have hoped to return to their land — although some of it is now underwater, some is part of a development project, and some villages are considered no-go zones and are being used for military purposes.
