LCHR

Land Center for Human Rights
The Series of issues of Land and Farmer.

7^th Issue

Farmers Disputes ……. Victims and Violations

A report prepared by:

Land Center for Human Rights

Date of Issuing:
January 2000

Land Center for Human Rights established in December 1996.
122 Galaa' St., Borg Ramsis Building, 7^th floor, Ramsis Sq., Cairo Egypt.
( (202) 5750470, (202) 5750470
lchr@thewayout.net

Introduction

Under the continuous deterioration of the living standards of the poor in the Egyptian rural areas, this report tries to search newly in the reasons of these disputes that witnessed a significant rise during the last period.

In this respect and although the report as much as possible tries to shed the light on the most important of disputes events, there were other disputes that the researchers could not covered. This can be mainly referred to the difficulty for the LCHR to cover all the Egyptian villages in one hand and, on the other hand, because the press has been covered those other events as regular events of violence.

The report includes new disputes other than what included in the last of our reports of this sort. Thus the report can be as a mirror of the economic and social rights in the countryside added to the social insufficient aspects of the new implemented agricultural policies and its failure in ending the farmers' problems concerning the water, agricultural credit and distribution of seeds and pesticides.

On the other hand, the report mirrors the deficiency and carelessness of the governmental role concerning the right implementation of these policies. Thus during the government opens the door widely for the investors and supports their projects, it does narrow the tiny margin available for farmers to cultivate specific crops for increasing their income.

The report covers the period of the last six months of 1999 tries to monitor the violations to which the farmers in several villages have exposed through the most important disputes occurred there.

In this respect we divide the report into the following parts:

* Parts one: reasons of farmers' disputes in the Egyptian rural areas.

* Part two: farmers' dispute between borders and ownership and negligence of authorities, this part divides into the following points:

- 1^st: disputes over ownership and inheritance.
- 2^nd: disputes because the landlines.
- 3^rd: disputes relevant to irrigation.
- 4^th: disputes raised for the law of rental relationship.
- 5^th: disputes relevant to the health of farmers.
- 6^th: disputes refer to the carelessness of Ministry of Agriculture.
- 7^th: various other disputes.

* Final notes.

*Annexes

******

Parts one: reasons of farmers' disputes in the Egyptian rural areas.

This report includes events and disputes reflect several aspects of the situation of farmers in the countryside as well as their relationship with the government. Those events have been mostly occurred because of what follows:

The impact of implementation of the law No. 96 of 1992, where the disputes have been continued whether among the farmers themselves because of inheritance, plots' lines and ownership or between them and the government because of the rental value and other relevant things.

In this respect the researchers of LCHR have monitored the most important of these events that resulted in 64 deaths, 314 casualties and 265 arrested. The disputes over ownership were the most ones that resulted in victims between deaths and casualties.

Disputes over water for irrigation were in the 2^nd rank of importance then came those disputes over plots' lines and finally the disputes that occurred because the farmers' inability to pay the rental value.

Concerning the last reason, rental value, if we compared between the number of deaths and casualties during 1998 and 1999 we will find that the number has been increased because of the law of expelling the tenants.

However, the phenomenon that worthy mentioning here is that the farmers' collective resistance against this controversial law has been declined. Instead a special showdown between the owners in one hand and the tenants and owners in the other for staying in the plot is what is running on now in the countryside.

Meanwhile, the most of other disputes particularly that took a violent disposition can undoubtedly be referred to the poverty and the bad situation under which most of farmers live added to their backward type of cultural and social life.

Amongst the most ridiculous circumstances have been monitored in this report is that the state was itself issued a military resolution prohibits and intensifying the punishment on letting the arable land lie fallow and erecting buildings on it has recently issued another one for stopping the cultivation on some areas.

This exactly what happened in Borg Al-Arab town when the Ministry of Population has begun in broadening the town's area on the account of the arable land area. In this regard the Minister of Population has issued a resolution for removing about 140 acres cultivated with various crops, where the New Urban Communities Authority blocked the opens of irrigation sources in order to damage the crops and enforce the farmers to leave their plots.

The administration of Suez governorate has also issued a resolution for removing 200 cultivated acres in pretext of changing the cordon of the city. The resolution that made dozens of farmers and youths to threaten with initiating a sit down- strike in front of the building of governorate to let the governor see their signboards after they failed in contenting the officials with stopping the resolutions of destroying their plots.

The Center has been also informed, during the period covered by the report, that the health care of farmers is deteriorated rather absent in some villages for many of poor farmers. For instance, in Meet Abu-Khaled village the typhoid affected about 50 farmers and, for the treatment as well as doctors are not available in the public clinic of the village, the farmers spent a lot of money for treatment in private clinics.

Dr. Refa't Abdel-Wahab a physician in the village assured that the analysis of a sample of water in the village was contained droppings of animals that causes several diseases.

In Menia, a governorate in Upper Egypt, a report issued by the governorate shown an increase of the cases affected by schistosomiasis in 32 villages in the governorate, this referred mainly to the absence of treatment added to using the polluted water from the canals in washing the vessels.

In Sohag there are many reports assured that water is invalid for humans on the level of the entire governorate, and that the analysis, run on the water there, approved that it causes kidney failure.

For instance, in Al-A'wayda village that belongs to Al-Oksur city, it was accidentally discovered that the tanks of water in the village, that inhabited by about 40.000 peoples, contain scorpions and snakes. In their complaints against this situation the villagers mentioned that this happened because these tanks are not covered and exposed to any vermin to invade them.

In Sharkeya governorate, as mentioned in a governmental report there are 55 villages drink polluted water and that the most important source of that pollution is that the drainage of Bahr A-Bakr district passes from Cairo without treatment. The report mentioned also that there were 44 farmers stung by the snakes in Shubra Bakhum village in Al-Monofia governorate, two of the casualties died and the administration of the health units failed in provide the treatment for the casualties.

As shown in the mentioned cases, the farmers between the carelessness of government and privatization of treatment and health services are exposed to several dangerous diseases and plagues because of pollution and their inability to cover the costs of the treatment.

Among the other important problems caused the disputes in the rural areas is the problem of irrigation, where many of villages particularly those at the end of canals do not get enough water for the crops. The problem has mainly referred to the lagging of the irrigation inspection from cleaning up the water currents or the shortage of quantities allocated compared wit the size of plots.

This problem is obviously happened in the north of Egypt where the farmers used to bring complaints for long years ago while the Ministry of Irrigation does not respond to these complaints. In the meanwhile there are new canals have been dug out for the new reclaimed land on the account of the old more fertile plots that sustain millions of poor farmers.

The paucity of water in those village led to several disputes among farmers resulted in many victims between deaths and casualties. For instance, the farmer have walked in demonstration to the building of the governorate of Fayyum to protest against the situation of 10.000 acres are exposed to lie fallow because the shortage of water reach to their villages.

In Kafr Al-Shikh too many villagers brought several complaints and urgent actions to the officials responsible for irrigation in their districts because the water does not reach their plots after the pipes were damaged caused the road collapsed and blocked the main canal.

In Al-Santa district thousands of farmers from the villages of Meniat Toukh, Shanwa, Meet Hawi, Meet Yazid, Al-Korashia and Al-Bonotyeen have brought several complaints in Land Center for Human Rights and the concerned officials. In these complaints they expressed the harm to which they expose because of shortage of water quantity that reach their plots which threatens their plots to lie fallow damaging the main crops like cotton and corn.

Those farmers were obliged to use the water of drainage although the danger in this water for the high rate of saltines. The same thing occurred in some village belong to the district of Al-Mahla Al-Kobra and many other villages in north of Egypt were the paucity of irrigation water caused many cases of disputes resulted in several deaths and injuries.

The Ministry of Agriculture failure to resist the pests in one hand and providing, in the other hand, the valid seeds and other agricultural necessaries in reasonable prices.

The deficiency in this specific aspect led to decrease of income for many farmers and deterioration of the productivity of a big area of the agricultural lands particularly that are cultivated with the strategic crops like cotton.

For instance, the agricultural administration in Bassioun village in Gharbeya governorate distributed invalid pesticides for resisting the cotton leaf blots where, instead of treating the cotton leaves, it damaged a big area of the plants. The same thing was also occurred in other village called Meet Sherif when the agricultural cooperative distributed some pesticide called Arphen " it consists of a powder in 50kg packages while we used to deliver it in small packages of (5 kg) as grinds not powder" some farmers said.

The screams of farmers were also escalated in Monofia governorate because the spreading of cotton worms and the high rate of damages that affected their crops which they mainly referred to the negligence in resisting the blots. Thus they complained from the weak resistance whether manually or through the hormones that disperse and kill the males of this kind of vermin.

Farmers of Kafr Al-Shaikh have also assured this case where they mentioned, in their complaints, that the crops have been affected with withering because the bad seeds they delivered from the agricultural cooperative. In their witness, they mentioned that these seeds have a disease that leads to specific paralyzes affects the plants at the end of plant age just before the process of harvest.

The farmers of Akyad Al-Bahria village, Fakous district in Sharkeya governorate sent dozens of urgent actions against the agricultural administration for the carelessness in dealing with the cotton blots which led to damage of the crop. They also accused the administration with distributing decayed seeds and chemicals led to damage of the crop.

On the other hand and concerning the crops of corn the farmers mentioned that the bad seeds caused a decrease in the productivity of the crop where they distributed invalid seeds that stored from the last year and affected with decay.

In Oxur in 9/9/1999 a case of panic and disappointment affected all the farmers that cultivate the sugar canes when the Malacostracta, that affects the crop with carbonization, assaulted the crops in great areas.

The farmers mentioned that the insect lays 1500 eggs/ an hour to hatch within six hours. In this respect the agricultural administration in all the districts of Mania governorate was delivered an urgent action in 1/9/1999 for assigning the agronomists to follow up the state. This in order to controlloing the damages through sprayng the crops by the pesticides the process that run on the account of farmers in costs range from ŁE 80 to 120 for each one acre.

Although in 14/10/1999 the Land Center for Human Rights received some information indicated that the technical committees that are assigned to investigate the situation of the sugar cane crop in Al-Menya have assured that about 779 acres are affected with the insect in Kous district. While about 147 acres are affected in Khozan district and 2058 acres are affected in Al-Hour district in Naga' Hamad.

Amongst the several other kinds of disputes that have been erupted in the rural areas during 1999, those were occurred because the accumulation of debts of farmers to the Authority of Agricultural Reform. Those debts that resulted from delaying repaying the installments of debts the farmers had taken for buying plots.

In this regard, although the Ministry of Agriculture was decided to stop the procedures of the administrative expropriation against the farmers that belong to the agricultural reform and to delay the paying of these installments. Some directories in different governorates had not obliged to this decision as what happened in Beni Swaif when the responsible official gave an order to execute the procedures of expropriation against the farmers there.

In the same time the minister of agriculture has recently issued a decision to cancel the rental relationship concerning those occupied the plots of agricultural reform area that reaches about 118.045 acres. This is in addition to selling about nine million meters of the lands of the ground rent and the similar sort of rent that spread over different provinces in Egypt's countryside.

It worth mentioning that these areas are occupied by about 15613 farmers and that this decision was taken in pretext that those farmers were lagged in making their decision to buy those plots according the facilitating procedures that settled by the authorities. In this respect the farmers who occupy these plots have never been informed about these facilitating procedures for buying the plots as mentioned in the testimonies of farmers of Warak Al-Arab in Giza province.

On the other hand the authority of agricultural reform has also expelled 1060 farmers from their lands in a village called Al-Mahrasi belong to Malawi district. Where the authority decided to sell 152 acres those farmers were reclaimed about 25 years ago.

While in Beni Swaif governorate the same authority sent warns with imprison to thousands of farmers them for they did not paid fines range from ŁE 700 to 800 for each acre because they infringed the decided crop rotation. The crop rotation although it used to be determined by the agricultural reform authority, it is known that the recommendations of this authority are optional not obligatory according to the legislation of the State Council.

The Agricultural Reform authority has also, under the presidency of the Minister of Agriculture, sold 24.000 acres in public auction under facilitation according which the purchaser can pay only 25 of the total price and to pay the remain amount in installments within 10 years. This means the expulsion of thousands of farmers from their plots that they have been cultivated for long years or at least to replace them with new tenants.

For instance, the Egyptian Agriculture Company has warned to expel thousands of farmers that built their houses on a plot owned by the company in Sidi Salem. The company had sold this plot to more than 50 farmers since 1958 for 105 piastres/meter. But, after the implementation of the law 96 of 1992, it threatened to expel them if they would not pay its new price that range from ŁE 15 to 25 in despite those farmers have contracts since 1958.

There were also the rural disputes that occurred because some farmers overstepped the permitted area for cultivation after the price has been raised during the last year. Thus there were four million farmers have overstepped the permitted area, the thing that can not be treated through sentencing all these people or fining them just for they tried to improve their income. This in particular under the policy of economic and agricultural liberalization on the basis of incitement and raising the prices and work for profit.

In addition to the mentioned reasons of disputes there were those related to the ownership and inheritance, this kind of disputes have been resulted in the biggest number of victims of deaths, injuries and arrested. This was because the consequences of the law No. 96 of 1992 are still continuous in solving some of the absent owners' properties and also between the inheritors each other.

There were also the disputes for the landlines that are undoubtedly old disputes, where many tragedies and problems were erupted among the neighbors, relatives and even brothers because of the landlines. In this respect, no doubt that the total number of problems and events that monitored since October 1997 the date of implementation of the land law in the report is more than what had been occurred because the same reason before this date.

Thus we can hint it his report and the other previous ones of the same sort that the disputes are in growing order under the new situation and changing land distribution between the owners and tenants added to the increasing poverty from which the small owners and tenants are suffering.

However, the report is not confined to some or the most important of disputes but includes samples of those different disputes that are not enlisted under the main titles of the report. But in the same time represent a significant part of the rural disputes that deserve accurate research of reasons as well as finding solution for them in order to eschew them in future.

Part two: Farmers' Disputes between Landlines and Ownership and Negligence of Authorities

The second half of 1999 witnessed various violent events and disputes in the Egyptian rural areas. During the period covered in the report the events were not confined to those that erupted for the rental relationship rather they extended to include the disputes over ownership, landlines, shortage of irrigation water supplies, and other various reasons.

No doubt that the report includes some new disputes such as those that were occurred because of the irrigation and health problems resulted from the negligence of the authorities in dealing with these problems.

The rate of violence was raised during the last six months of 1999 which considers is a dangerous indication that must move the assigned authorities to search in this escalating phenomenon in order to control and put an end to it.

In this respect, we are interested to clear out that our monitoring of these events was based on the legal files in the land Center for Human rights added to the materials in several newspapers whether the governmental or the opposition papers.

In classifying the events we tried to find some other classification but the available material imposed this following classification:

- 1^st: disputes over ownership and inheritance.

This sort of disputes replaced the biggest part during the last half of 1999 where they erupted because of the ownership dismantle in one hand and absence of registration of plots in the other hand. This is besides the allegation of many big landlords of ownership of some plots added to the other reasons that related to the poverty and backward traditions.

For instance, in 2/10/1999 a farmer fired Sobhi Abdel A'ziz because a difference over the ownership of a plot in Zawiat Al-Sabakh in Shebin Al-Kanatr in Al-Kalioubia governorate. The last was affected with dangerous injuries because of which he was transported to the hospital while the authorities arrested four persons and transmitted them to the prosecution for trial.

In 20/10/1999, an agronomist died two peoples injured and three included a police officer were arrested in Al-Domaini village on the borders between Dakahlia and Kafr Al-Shaikh governorates. Where two families from those governorates disputed over the ownership of a plot where they exchanged the fires resulted in injury of the agronomist Ahmed Ibrahim Khalil 25 years. While both the students M. Al-Sayed Abu-Alfoutuh and Hamdi Hamed were injured and moved to the hospital of Bila. In the same time police had arrested Tarek Abdel Dayem Abdel Wahed (41 years) works in the local unit of Garaida village, A. Abdel Ati Abdel A'al a farmer (58 yeas) and M. Abdel Dayem an officer (28 years) all moved to the prosecution for taking the procedures of trial.

In 15/7/1999, a farmer called Sayed Wahidi Saleh shot killed a farmer called Hamdi Hamed in Dir Mowas while two of the dead relatives were injured. The dispute was erupted because of the two parts differed over who would irrigate before the other, where the shooter lied in wait for the killed and could shot him many times. Police arrested the killer and presented him to the prosecution.

In 7/7/1999, two farmers in Kafr (small village) Al-Anaina were injured because a difference over the ownership of a plot. Where Mostafa Ali (53 years) attacked his brothers Abdel Alim and Ibrahim Mostafa beaten them by the axe because a plot they inherited their father. The security forces had arrested three persons where the prosecutions arrogated them.

In 10/7/1999, Nofel Khedr killed his nephew Shemairi Faisal (18 years) because of a plot ownership. The killer agreed with five persons to get rid off his nephew where they ambushed him and shot him killed as he was outdoors in the morning. When his brother tried to save him the five persons shot him too to affect him and two other villagers with dangerous injuries. The police arrested the five persons and forwarded them to the prosecution.

In 17/7/1999, the farmer A'ntar Mahmoud Abdel Kader has been killed by his cousins when they disputed over a plot sizes three carats. Mahmoud Ali Al-Samoan and his sons Haled, Omar and Abu Al-Hasan accused and conveyed to the prosecution. The event was resulted also in injury of five other villagers where the security forces intervened to stop the fight and arrested three persons with the used guns. The accused persons had detained for four days under investigation then transported to the trial.

In 10/9/1999, an escort shot his father and brother for the ownership of a plot. The son works as escort in the prosecution of Meet Ghamr 27 years was arrested with another person revealed that was assisted him in his crime and both transported to the prosecution.

In 1/10/1999, six men killed and two injured in a fight because a plot in Sohag, where the prosecution sentenced Abdalla Shiba 38 years and his brother Abdel Rahim to death because they killed six persons and injured two others. The fight had started when both the quarreled parties claimed the ownership of a plot then the fight continued with using the sticks and then it developed to using the guns where the accused persons killed six persons. The names of persons killed are: Alsaman M. Al-Saman, Abdel Nasr Al-Saman, Khaled Al-Sayed M, Ahmed Al-Sayed M, Abdel A'al Al-Saued M. and, Gelbiaz Abdel Rahim, while the two persons injured were Wedad Gabr and Manal Ahmed al-Sayed (females).

In 2/10/1999, Abdel Karim A. Abdel Alim shot his brother Ahmed in a dispute over a plot where the last transported to the hospital in dangerous state. Two sons of the injured farmer were also affected with injuries while the police arrested the shooter and three other villagers and presented to the prosecution.

In 16/10/1999, four farmers shot two of their cousins in Hamradom village In Menia governorate also because of dispute over a plot. The shooters were directed to the house of their cousins and shot them kill where the police arrested the four persons with the guns and presented them to the prosecution.

In 24/10/1999, a lawyer in Assiut killed a farmer when they disputed over the ownership of a plot. The killer stabbed the victim with a knife where it shown that the quarrel referred to a big problem between two families for this plot. The lawyer was arrested with two of his relatives and presented to the prosecution.

In 27/10/1999, a farmer was killed while there were eight other farmers injured in a dispute over a plot in Kum Umbo. The plot is originally owned to the state however both the fighting parties claimed the ownership of it where they exchanged the fire resulted in those victims. The police arrested both M.M. Aslan and M. Abdel Rahim and presented to the prosecution, which ordered to keep the injuries in the hospital.

In 5/11/1999, eight persons injured in a fighting over a plot in Damsheesh village that belongs to Al-Gharbia governorate. The fight was an extent to a dispute between two families over the plot where the sticks and knives were used and resulted in those victims before the police intervened. The names of injuries are: Hasem Sayed Shahin 52 years and his sons Al, 18 years, Samia 16 years, Nahed 22 years while the other four injuries were from the other family: Haiam 12 years, Abdalla 20 years, M. Al-Sherbini 17 years, Eslam 28 years. All the victims were transported to the hospital while the security forces arrested the accused persons and conveyed them to the prosecution.

In 17/11/1999 a farmer was killed in Shebeen Al-Kanatr because a dispute over a plot. Where the farmer Al-Sayed M. Sa'di 34 years was shot as he was planting his plot by two farmers form Al-Attar family. The police could arrest the shooters and presented them to the prosecution.

In 12/11/1999, four farmers were killed and five injured in a village in Manflout district where the farmer Sayed Hessain 33 years killed his oldest brother Mostafa 40 years. The farmers mentioned that after the killer assured that his brother had been dead he directed to his cousins' house carried the gun to kill Atta 30 years, Hamdan and Abdel Nabi A. Hissain. While his bullets could affected both Abdel Tawab A. Hessain and E'z Atta Ismai'l. the event was occurred because of a dispute over a plot that the killer thought that he had inherited it after his father was dead. The police arrested him with four other men participated with him in the crime.

In 24/11/1999, seven farmers were injured and 23 were arrested in Balabish village in Sohag governorate because a dispute over a plot between the family of Halailia and family of Adel Rahman. It noted that several sorts of weapons were used in the fighting which resulted in injury of seven men in dangerous state while the police arrested 23 peoples and confiscated a number of machine guns from both the families.

In 9/12/1999 a farmer was killed and seven others injured in a fighting for a plot in Maghagha in Al-Menia governorate because an old dispute between two families. The fighting started with sticks then developed to include sharp tools between Rabie Hassan Farghli 50 years with his wife Fatma M. Amin and their son Hessain Rabie 18 years and the farmer Rabie Al-Sayed Ahmed 58 years. The family attacked the victim where he dead after transported to the hospital of Maghagha while the police arrested the rest of family to bring before the prosecution for conveying then to the trial.

In 1/8/1999 two farmers had torn their uncle's body with knives in Beba district of Beni Swaif governorate. Thus the farmer Mahmoud Farag m. about 40 years was killed in a fighting between him and his nephews for an inherited plot. Three others were injured while the police arrested the nephews and brought them before the prosecution for conveying them to the trial.

In 11/12/1999, a farmer ripped his uncle's body in a dispute over a plot in Hegaza village that belongs to Kous district where the farmer Anwar Gad Al-Rab was killed while three others injured on the hands of the relatives of the accused person. The accused persons tried to flee after they stabbed the victim but the police could arrested them and brought them before the prosecution.

- 2^nd: disputes because the landlines.

More of tragedies witnessed by the rural areas for long years because the disputes over the landlines that separate the neighbor plant. This kind of disputes is mainly referred to the hard conditions of living of farmers where the absence of controlling the lines can lead to decreasing and increasing in the different neighbor plots.

In this respect, it is worthy mentioning that one carat can be resulted from overstepping the landlines is a significant area to the poor farmers. Thus there were many fights occurred along the history of farmers because this landline.

Recently this kind of disputes has been increased because the new procedures of measurement that accompany the process of handing the plots that were leased for long years. Where we can say that the number after the Land Law has been fourthly folded the number before the implementation of this law.

For instance, in 10/8/1999, a farmer shot his neighbors to injury some of them because the dispute over the landlines. The scene was on the Cairo-Alex highway within the governorate of Giza where the wounded people were transported to the hospital of Um Al-Mesryeen while the police arrested the attacker with the gun used in the event.

In 12/8/1999 the farmer Fathi Abdel Fattah Rabie attacked his neighbor farmer Lamloum Ahmed Rabie with a stick to hit hem on his head caused affected him with fractures in the skull. The event occurred in Al-Katta village in Giza governorate where the police could arrested the attacker and conveyed him to the prosecutor to manage the necessary investigations with him.

In 15/8/1999, the farmer A. Ali Ahmed 65 years with his son M. Ahmed Ali shot their neighbor farmer M. Ramadan 26 years in Atfeeh district in Giza governorate. The information shown that the attackers committed this crime as revenge from the killed who had killed the son of the farmer A. Ali Ahmed in a fight because the landlines. The police could arrest the accused persons with the gun used in the crime where they conveyed to the prosecution.

In 15/8/1999, two farmers were wounded in a fight because the landlines in Abu Ragwan village in Giza governorate. The fight erupted between the family of Abu Haikal and Abu Ramour family represented by Essam Mohamed 31 years and his brother Mohamed from Haikal family and Omar Abdella, Abdel A'ti, A. Abdel Aziz and Khaled A. from Abu Ramour family. The direct reason of the fighting was the damage that affected Haikal family when Abu Ramour family overstepped the landlines after the road that leads to the brick plant of Abu Ramour was broadened. The security forces arrested the attackers with guns and transported them to the prosecution.

In 17/9/1999, a farmer has been killed and other has been arrested and committed to the prosecution where the criminal court sentenced the farmer to prison for seven years because he killed his neighbor in a fighting over the landlines.

In 27/8/1999, a farmer was slaughtered because of a corral in Al-Mahla when the farmer Hassan M. 25 years and his brother Atef m. 21 years built a corral on the landlines between their plot and their cousin's plot M. Hassan. The livestock had damaged an area of their cousin's plant. The fighting was started with exchanging shouts and abuses then developed to fighting with knives where both the brothers attacked their cousin to fell him killed. The security forces arrested the killers where the prosecution detained them for four days for investigation.

In 9/11/1999, six peoples had been arrested while five other had been wounded because a conflict for the landlines between two plots in Kafr Sonbat in Al-Gharbia Governorate. Where the family of al-Ossami claimed that the family of Al-Laithy had overstepped his lines and taken a part of his plot then the situation had been developed to a bloody fighting. The event had been resulted in injury of Yousif Al-Essami 23 years, Abdel Rahim Al-Esami 39 years, Al-Sayed Mousa 20 years and Faris Mostafa 25 years. While the police arrested Ibrahim Al-Laithy, A. Al-Laithy, M. Al-laithy and Hasab Allah Hassan and detained them four days under investigation.

In 28/10/1999, a farmer in Manflout of Assiut governorate killed by his cousin. The event started when Sayed Hassain M. a farmer 40 years shot his brother 45 years and his cousins Abdel Nabi and Ahmed Hassan because a plot they inherited after their father had been dead. When they differed about the landlines the situation developed into a fight in which the killer shot the victim and when his cousin tried to save the last he shot him too. The police arrested him and committed to the prosecution for investigation.

- 3^rd: disputes relevant to irrigation.

The problem of irrigation has become an urgent one among those problems that need to a serious intervention form the authorities. The problem is mainly refer to the shortage of water supplies particularly in these villages that lie at the end of the canals and, in the other hand to the high price of irrigation machines.

Land Center for Human Rights, in this respect, promises to present a detailed report about the problem of water in the Egyptian countryside and all the relative aspects.

This part includes several cases of violent events that have been occurred because the irrigation water in the rural areas.

For instance, in 16/8/1999, a farmer had been murdered because the irrigation where the prosecutor general remitted the accused farmer Hokouki and his cousin Nasr to the criminal court of south Qena. This was for they murdered a farmer from their village and trying to murder the last' nephew because the difference about the turn of irrigation.

The farmer had confessed that he had shot killed his neighbor because the last destroyed the canal through which the later was irrigating his plot where a fighting erupted between them. It had resulted in death of Mohaed Madani the prosecutor accused the persons that participated in the event with killing and trying to kill another one then it remitted them to the criminal court.

In 31/8/1999, a farmer woman had been died in a fight because they wanted to irrigate her plot that lies in Badrasheen in Giza Governorate.

A fight erupted between two families exchanged the fire resulted in death of a woman added to injury of four other villagers. While the security forces hurried to the scene to control the situation but they could not arrest the persons who committed the crime?

In 15/9/1999, 18 villagers from Abu Ragwan village were arrested because a fight erupted between two families when a person insulted a girl was taking water from a source of ground water next to the later plot. Where the girl called their relatives for protection and when they come the fight started resulted in setting a fire in a house of the other family.

In 29/9/1999four farmers from Zat al-Koum village had been wounded in a fight erupted because the irrigation the four wounded are M. Abdel Wahed 32 years, Salah Mousa 63 years, Abdel Samia' Abdel Khalek 41 years and a'lia Abdel Khalek a housewife 50 years. The police on the other hand had arrested both Ramadan Ibrahim 31 years and Ali Ali Ibrahim 45 years where the prosecution investigated the event with them.

In 19/11/1999, a farmer had been murdered while 15 others were injured in a fight between two families in Beni Mousa village in Menia Governorate erupted for a weal during the cycle of irrigation. Two members from the families started the fight then the news grown to the families who directed to the scene carried the guns and knives. Whereas they exchanged the fire to result in death of a farmer called Sayed Abdel Magid 32 years and injury of 15 persons from both the families. The security forces controlled the situation and arrested the fighters and committed the to the prosecution.

In 25/10/1999, three farmers died and five injured in Al-Ababda village in Sharkeya governorate when a fight erupted for the priority of irrigation. Lamam Al-Herbawi and members of Emam family resulted in death of three farmers while the police could arrested nine farmers from the two families kept the guns used in the fight.

In 27/8/1999, 13 farmers had been wounded with fatal injuries in a fight between two families called Abdel Aziz and Abdel Rasoul because of dispute over the irrigation. The guns and white arms were used in the fight that resulted in this number of injuries that transported to the hospital of Tahta while the police arrested 15 citizens for they participated in the fight.

In 5/8/1999, the farmer M. Sabrout and his son Adel ripped Ahmed Azab 24 years because he proceeded them in irrigation his plot where the situation turned to a fight resulted in injury of two persons of the murdered relatives.

In the governorate of Kafr Al-Shaikh many farmers brought complaints and urgent actions to the officials for find a resolution of the problem of irrigation. Where the water does not reach their plots that size about 150 acres. In his testimony in the Land Center for Human Rights Kamel Sorour a villagers form the region "I sold everything I was owning for buying the plot then I planted it twice but in every time the seedlings were died because the shortage of water supplies particularly during April.

The problem is still existed because the level of pipes through which the water reach the plots are higher than the level of water in the canal". When we went to the agricultural administration they refused to check the canal that has been dried and said it is not belong to our frmae of supervision.

In Al-Wadi AlGadid (new valley) governorate the farmers are exposed to be homeless and landless because the shortage of water supplies that reach to their plots from the weal 9.12 in Aden village. In their complaints that brought to the Land Center the farmers mentioned that they exposed to horrible costs where the crops have been dried before the date of harvest.

In Damkana village in Dosouk there are about 30.000 acres exposed to lie fallow after the pipes were exploded led to flooding the crops when the road collapsed blocked the opens of water that feed the plots surrounded.

Many farmers in front of tis crisis brought several complaints where the governorate responded by deciding to spend ŁE 10.000 in broadening the road and opening the mouth of canal. But until now the amount was decided has not been spent .

In 9/9/1999, the farmers who have implemented the land law surprised with the owners end the rental relationship in the plots which the government gave to them ion the new reclaimed land. Many farmers presented complaints to the officials in vain where many of them become landless and exposed to fatal costs.

In 17/10/199, the engineer Ali Rasmi the head of irrigation sector in the Ministry of Works pronounced that the value of the fine against each acre of the farmer who infringes the rules is ŁE 600. He also indicated that the assigned ministry has finished the survey of all the infringing plots and that the administrations of irrigation have been assigned to notify the local prosecutions.

The value of fine was determined according the irrigation and drainage law of 1984 but unfortunately the problems of farmers with the government are still continuous every year because they infringe the system determined. This refers as some farmer mentioned to the policy of state that rewards the owners of industrial works for their efforts and provide them with the suitable conditions to increase its profits while most of the water supplies in the new reclaimed plots are wasted in the sea.

In 25/12/1999, a farmer in Kum Hamada murdered his neighbor because a dispute over the irrigation where it had reported that the murdered called M. Mostafa had died just when reached the hospital. In the same time it had reported that the shooter called Mahmoud M. 24 years is a farmer in Kum Hamada in Giza governirate.

- 4^th: disputes raised for the law of rental relationship.

Although the disputes over the rental relation have been declined after the land law implemented, the consequences of this law are still occurring particularly with the farmers that refused to leave their plots and chosen to continue under all the pressures that practiced against them.

In this respect there were several circumstance related to the impact of implementation of the land law that we present in the following

In 15/7/1999, in Yazid village in Beni Swaif Governorate, there have been fatal clashes occurred between a family owns about 43 acres and some of tenant farmers. The disputes were erupted because the owner family insisted to evacuate the farmers from the plots. When the last refused to leave the plot the owners decided to stay in the plot in order to prevent the tenants from entering it.

Thus when the tenants entered the plot the members of the owner family open the fire against them to kill Mahrous Farag Ibrahim 30 years, Korani Sayed Abdella 45 years, Shehata Gaber M. 17 years and Shehata Sayed Abdella 38 years. While both of Nagi Abdel hamid, Heba M. Wahba, Ismai'l A. Radi, Hamdi Nagi Abdel Hamid, Sayed A. Radi, and M. A. Ali were wounded.

The injuries have told the researchers of the Center that the clashes were erupted because the plot that the family claimed its ownership of it in the absence of any documents can assert their claim.

The farmers mentioned that the family have practiced several kinds of pressure against the tenants to let them leave the plot.

Particularly through the head of investigation department of the police station in Ahnasia who treated them harshly and when we refused to leave the plot they resort to violent ways. The security forces were moved quickly in great numbers to put the village under siege where they terrorized the tenants and insulted their wives and sons and then arrested 15 of tenants. Six of those arrested were detained and then committed to the prosecution they are: Nasr Aldin Mahmoud 50 years, Shams Aldin Mahmoud 61 years, Mahmoud Shams Aldin 30 years, Moghtar Shams Aldin 33 years, Yehia Nasr Aldin 17 years and Ali A. Hassan 37 years. While there are three other farmers are still runaway.

In 10/8/1999, in Al-Khazandaria village that belongs to Tahta district, thefamer Abdel Kadr Hamad 45 years was killed by Abdel A'al Ahmed and Mohamed Ahmed Al-Aref. They were ambushed him in the road that leads to his home then shot him kill. The information later asserted that the problem was erupted because the first was dispelled from his plot after the implement of the land Law.

22/9/1999, In a fight between two families in Dahshour, Giza a farmer was killed and 11 persons were wounded. It was reported that the fight first begun between the children from the two families Hamam nd Mansi. Then the situation developed when the brothers Abdel Razek, Abdel Wahab, Abdel Kawi and Mahmoud Mansi ambushed and shot Tarek Hamam 22 years works as engineer and Gamila Nemr Abdel Wahed Hamam she at 13 years. It is worthy mentioning that the differences between the families were begun since October 1997 after the family of Hamam was expelled from the plot they were lease from Al-Mansi. The police arrested four persons accused in the event.

In 6/9/1999, the brothers Ahmed and Ibrahim Farghly shot the monk Oghnatios Al-Mahraki in the monastery called Al-Mahrak in the village of Meer in Kousia, where the he dead while other person wounded. It was reported that the monk was responsible for cultivating the farm of monastery and the plot owned to the monastery and leased to some farmers. When the monk decided to expel those farmers the brothers ambushed the monk in the field of corn and shot him killed where they arrested and committed to the prosecution in the district.

In 21/9/1999, a farmer was killed and a teacher wounded in Al-Nagar village in Sohag when the agronomist Abu-Alfotouh A. Kamal Aldin 53 years opened the fire against the farmer M. Khalaf Kasem 24 years killed him and wounded the teacher magfi Fathi Aref 28 years. It was reported that the two parties were in fight since the implementation of the land law because a dispute over a plot but the problems renewed when the farmer shocked one of the agronomist's sons by bicycle. The police arrested the agronomist and other person from the family and committed them to thew prosecution till they bring before the court.

In 21/9/1999, the official Gamil Al-Sayed Imam stroke his cousin with a rod in a fight erupted when the later went to his cousin to take the the remain of rental value for the plot. The cousin M.Gad asked Gamil to give him an extra period to give him the money (ŁE 75) because the harvest was weak that season. Gamil refused to give his cousin extra period which erupted a debate between them developed to a fight where Gamil had a rod and stroke his cousin on his head affected him with fractures in the skull and concussion. The wounded farmer transported to the hospital while the official committed to the prosecution.

In 18/10/1999, a farmer in Beni Shnkir village in assiut governorate fractured his brother's head with an ax. Goma'a Abdel Meni' Ismai'l 18 years stroke his brother Saber by ax because of ŁE 700 a remain amount of the rental value between the two parties.

In 22/10/1999, a farmer called M. Ali Khalil 28 years from Awlad Hamza village in Sohag shot his brother affected him with fatal injuries because ŁE 1000 the rental value of the plot that the brother Mahmoud leases. The wounded man transported to the hospital while the police arrested his brother and committed him to the prosecution.

In 17/8/1999, M. A. Ali a farmer from Al-Kababat village shot killed a farmer called M. Ramadan Ali and in the field where another guy killed too because the fire. The police arrested the killer and committed him to the prosecution.

- 5^th: disputes relevant to the health of farmers.

None of our previous reports have monitored this kind of disputes that erupted because the reservation of health of farmers and their livestock. We would like to put this title when we knew that the disputes for this reason have been increased during the last period. Thus we hope in future to develop this aspect to include all the violations that are related to the health of farmers and the negligence from the concerned authorites towards them.

The kind of these disputes is ramified in several categories such as the drinking water, drainage, livestock etc. so, in this section we present the most important violation to which the farmers have been exposed in concerning their health as we see in the following:

In 2/10/1999, Shobra Bakhoum village in Monofia governorate witnessed a state of panic and horror when the poisoning snakes attacked the farmers' houses led to death of two persons and injury of 44 persons.

Ridiculously the concerned authority resorted to the magicians to save the village, where they did succeed in hunting 32 snakes included 15 cobra snakes. The director of the agricultural cooperative referred the problem to the spreading of abandoned houses that represent suitable environment for growth of snakes and other sorts harmful vermin in the village.

Fawzi Deraz 51 years a farmer from the affected village in his complaint to the LCHR he said. "When I opened the cupboard to change my clothes I surprised with a snake attacked and bitten me, where I treated my self through the first aid steps we traditionally know concerning this situation.

In this respect the Land Center brought an urgent action to the directory of the heath in the governorate to investigate in these circumstances and taking the necessary procedures.

The typhoid has also invaded the village of Meet Abu-Khaled (Dakahlia Governorate) in October1999. Thus there were about 55 farmers affected with the virus of typhoid and treated on their account because the treatment was not available in the public health unit. Dr. Refa't Abdel-Wahab a physician in the village assured that the analysis of a sample of water in the village was contained droppings of animals that causes several diseases.

Land Center for Human Rights had received a complaint from many farmers from the village of Ramzi Al-Sabil (Sharkia Governorate) included their complaining from the agricultural directory. Thus according their words the directory has neglected the crops of cotton when it affected with the leaf blots. The directory refused to give the farmers the necessary pesticides. As a response to this situation the Land Center has also sent a complaint to the Minister of Agriculture.

The minister responded that through the investigation of the complaint shown that:

¨ there is a judicial dispute between the landlord and the tenant farmers who occupy the plot in the lawsuit No. 480 of 1996 where it brought in the Authority of State Judiciary what means that the court in the session at 23/9/1999 returned the suit to the office of experts of Ministry of Justice in Fakous.

¨ The manual and chemical control of the cotton fields against the various pests can not be run through the ministry but in the formal possessed plots that have documents in the Development Bank where the plot is registered in the name of the landlord not the tenant farmers.

¨ There was a notification from the landlord to the agricultural directory prohibits the dealing with the farmers who occupy the plot.

¨ The tenant farmers were notified in several ways to deal with the plot by money where they had to deposit ŁE 200 for each acre under account for controlling the pests.

The tenant farmers in this respect mentioned that they had not received any response from the Ministry of Agriculture concerning the dealing with the cotton blots that spread in the region.

On the other hand, in Menia Governorate, a report issued from the governorate itself discovered that the cases affected by schistosomiasis have been increased in 32 villages, particularly in five villages: Zawiat Al0Gawami, Gizirat Shawarna, Demrat, Al-Shaikh Zaid and Beni Khalaf. This was referred mainly to the absence of treatment added to using the polluted water from the canals in washing the vessels and clothes.

In Al-Farmawi village in Dakahlia governorate, the rate of typhoid affected cases increased because the water has been polluted with the drainage water that comes from the main drainage canal divides the village in which there are many epidemic diseases. The Land Center in this respect appeals for the ministry of Health to take the necessary procedures for protecting and reserving the citizens' health in the mentioned villages from these diseases.

In Mir village in Sohag governorate, there were several reports issued from the analysis labs of water in the directory of Inhabitance and Utilities in Sohag discovered that water is not valid for humans. The reports in the details indicated that the percentage of manganese is more than the permitted limit where it reached to 1850 parcels of million and that it causes kidney failure.

The directory has also sent the findings of analysis run on samples of the water to the local unit of drinking water indicated that water is not identical with the specifications that brought in the ministerial resolution of 1995. The letter attached to the findings included a recommendation necessitates shut down of the water station till it replaced with another one.

In Al-A'wayda village that belongs to Al-Oksur city, it was accidentally discovered that the tanks of water in the village, that inhabited by about 40.000 peoples, contain scorpions and snakes. In their complaints against this situation the villagers mentioned that this happened because these tanks are not covered and exposed to any vermin to invade them.

In 15/9/1999, the villagers of Al-Ramla village (Banha) went on a sit-down strike before the building of Dakahlia governorate protesting for the absence of water where the supply has used to be cut continuously everyday. The villagers assured that the pipes are in bad case and should be replaced with another new pipes. The villagers were carrying empty containers to full them from the governorate.

In 23/9/1999, in Sharkeya governorate, as mentioned in a governmental report there are 55 villages drink polluted water and that the most important source of that pollution is that the drainage of Bahr A-Bakr district passes from Cairo without treatment. The report mentioned also that there were 44 farmers stung by the snakes in Shubra Bakhum village in Al-Monofia governorate, two of the casualties died and the administration of the health units failed in provide the treatment for the casualties.

In 9/9/1999, a family consisted of six members affected with sever poisoning because they had taken a meal contained a pesticide that they were applying on the crop of potato. The names of peoples affected are: Hassan M. Kalila 50 years, a farmer and his wife Nadia Mostafa a housewife, Inas Hassan M. 18 years, M. Hassan M. 15 student and Lamia' M. Hassan they all had treated in the hospital of Ktour.

In 28/9/1999, the farmers Wai'l Kamal Al-Dosouki died after he sprayed the pesticide on his plants where he did not wash his hands after the application of pesticide and when he had his lunch he affected with sever poisoning and died in the hospital.

Land Center for Human Rights, on the other hand has received a complaint from many citizens of Al-Santa District in Gharbia Governorate included that a number of veterinarians from the directory of veterinary of Gharbia had sprayed 150 heads of cattle with very poisoning biocide called Diazton. Which led to death of many of them and deterioration of many others. When the Center sent a complaint to the veterinary directory they negated any death of cattle because of pesticide and assured that the story is that five heads slaughtered and the directory checked their meat. While they had treated some other heads from which their owners complained that they had some disorder.

- 6^th: disputes refer to the carelessness of Ministry of Agriculture.

Negligence of the Ministry of Agriculture and its submitted systems toward the small and poor farmers in the rural areas has being continued which led to several problems to those farmers whether with the Agricultural Reform Authority or the agricultural cooperatives.

Here are some of the cases that included several problems related to the absent role of the mentioned authorities:

In Beni Swaif governorate, debts of farmers to the Authority of Agricultural Reform have been accumulated. Those debts that resulted from delaying repaying the installments of debts the farmers had taken for buying plots.

In this regard, although the Ministry of Agriculture was decided to stop the procedures of the administrative expropriation against the farmers that belong to the agricultural reform and to delay the paying of these installments. Some directories in different governorates had not obliged to this decision as what happened in Beni Swaif when the responsible official gave an order to execute the procedures of expropriation against the farmers there.

In 8/9/99, the Egyptian Agriculture Company has warned to expel thousands of farmers that built their houses on a plot owned by the company in Sidi Salem. The company had sold this plot to more than 50 farmers since 1958 for 105 piastres/meter. But, after the implementation of the law 96 of 1992, it threatened to expel them if they would not pay its new price that range from ŁE 15 to 25 in despite those farmers have contracts since 1958.

In Borg Al-Arab town the Ministry of Population has begun in broadening the town's area on the account of the arable land area. In this regard the Minister of Population has issued a resolution for removing about 140 acres cultivated with various crops, where the New Urban Communities Authority blocked the opens of irrigation sources in order to damage the crops and enforce the farmers to leave their plots.

On the other hand, the agricultural administration in Bassioun village in Gharbeya governorate distributed invalid pesticides for resisting the cotton leaf blots where, instead of treating the cotton leaves, it damaged a big area of the plants. The same thing was also occurred in other village called Meet Sherif when the agricultural cooperative distributed some pesticide called Arphen " it consists of a powder in 50kg packages while we used to deliver it in small packages of (5 kg) as grinds not powder" some farmers said.

In 1/9/1999, the agricultural administration in all the districts of Quena governorate was delivered an urgent action in 1/9/1999 for assigning the agronomists to follow up the state. This in order to controlling the damages through spraying the crops by the pesticides the process that run on the account of farmers in costs range from ŁE 80 to 120 for each one acre.

In 7/9/1999, the screams of farmers were also escalated in Monofia governorate because the spreading of cotton worms and the high rate of damages that affected their crops which they mainly referred to the negligence in resisting the blots. Thus they complained from the weak resistance whether manually or through the hormones that disperse and kill the males of this kind of vermin.

The farmers of Akyad Al-Bahria village, Fakous district in Sharkeya governorate sent dozens of urgent actions against the agricultural administration for the carelessness in dealing with the cotton blots which led to damage of the crop. They also accused the administration with distributing decayed seeds and chemicals led to damage of the crop.

On the other hand and concerning the crops of corn the farmers mentioned that the bad seeds caused a decrease in the productivity of the crop where they distributed invalid seeds that stored from the last year and affected with decay.

In Kafr Al-Shaikh have also assured this case where they mentioned, in their complaints, that the crops have been affected with withering because the bad seeds they delivered from the agricultural cooperative. In their witness, they mentioned that these seeds have a disease that leads to specific paralyzes affects the plants at the end of plant age just before the process of harvest.

In 9/9/1999, in Oxur, a case of panic and disappointment affected all the farmers that cultivate the sugar canes when the Malacostracta, that affects the crop with carbonization, assaulted the crops in great areas.

In 3/9/1999, a report issued from the Commercial Chamber in Alex discovered that the harvest of cotton has been declined to 4.5 million kintars compared with 11 million kntars in the beginning of 1950s. the chamber referred that to the declination of the productivity as well as cultivated area has been decreased.in 8.2. The chamber recommended the decreasing of costs of this cultivation in order to courage the farmers to plant it.

In 13/9/1999, the white ants attacked the plants in Aswan which affected the farmers with critical cots where the agricultural administration in the governorate failed in controlling the situation. The white ants have not only damaged the plants but also as the farmers mentioned they attached the houses and ate the wooden ceilings.

In 21/9/1999, the negligence of the concerned authorities has also led to damage of the cotton harvest in both the governorates of Qualiubia and Gharbia, where thousands of farmers exposed to crucial costs because the deterioration that affected the cotton harvest. This was included in the several complaints that the farmers sent from Zefta District. It was reported that about 116 from total 470 have been damaged , where the farmers could do nothing but to leave the harvest before the building of the agricultural coop to be as a proof on the negligence of the officials.

In his testimony to the Land Center Hessain Al-Shal a farmer involved in this damage mentioned that he asked the coop to apply the necessary pesticides to control the cotton worm during the earlier stages but they neglected his inquiry.

In 24/9/1999, the decayed seeds were a direct cause of damaging the crop in 1999, where the coops distributed invalid seeds in low price. The coop distributed the package of 35 ardeb for ŁE 90 instead of 120 but unfortunately it caused the collapsing of the crop.

In 28/9/1999, the governorate of Kafr Al-Shaikh witnessed a state of fury and disappointment amongst the farmers because the decreasing of cotton productivity and deterioration of its prices. Thus the price has been lowered in most village to ŁE 300 while the costs of cultivation for each acre as farmers said has reached to ŁE 1200. In the same time and despite this loses the Agricultural Development and Credit Bank asked the farmers to pay the debts.

In 28/9/1999, the figures included in the formal reports indicated the decreasing of cotton production from 8.000.100 in 1997 to 6.3 million kentars in 1998. The rate of export has also decreased from 2.000.700 in 1987 kintar to 1.3 million kintars in 1998. The cultivated area has also been decreased from one million and 627 thousands acres in 1971 to 700 thousands acres in 1998.

In 13/10/1999, the complaints brought to the Land Center assured the decreasing of cotton production in several districts of Kafr Al-Shaikh such as Bila, Al-Hamoul and Al-Reyad. It mentioned that the cause of that is the coop has distributed bad invalid seeds and pesticides. "the government wasted our money and efforts where the coop obligated us to buy the invalid seeds which led to this loses we are suffering now" Ahmed Nour Al-Din a farmer from Al-Reyad village.

In 14/10/1999, the assigned technical committees that checked the area is cultivated with sugarcanes in Quena governorate has found that 779 acres have been affected with the Malacostracta in Kous, 147 acres in Khozam and 25 acres in Al-Haw village. These committees were formed according a decision from the governorator as response to many complaints from the farmers who exposed to loses.

In 16/10/1999, many farmers in Dakahlia governorate have complained from the decreasing of productivity from eight kintars from one acrem in 1998 to only four kintars this year. The quality of production has also been lowed which led to decreasing in its price.

In 19/6/1999, the local unit of Esna District accompanied with the security forces removed the weal that provides the plants of Ahmed Abadi with water under the resolution No. 63 of 1998 which led the plot to lie fallow. In this respect the Land center received a complaint from the mentioned farmer in which he asked for operating an investigation of the site to prove the damages affected the plants because of that conduct. The Center has challenged the mentioned resolution in a the suit No. 338 of the 7^th judicial year. The Center sent a complaint to the governor of Quena who decided to from an investigation committee according the resolution No. 144 of 1999 which found that the execution of removing has resulted in fatal damages and accordingly the governor ordered with stopping the execution of the defeated resolution.

In 27/7/1999, the governorate of Fayyum witnessed a demonstration of farmers before the building where about 150 farmers who benefit from the agricultural reform in Kouta district that includes six villages. The farmers demonstrated because the damages to which they exposed for the shortage of water supplies that reach to their plots. The officials have intervened and promised the farmers to find a solution particularly after the debts of farmers to the Agricultural Development and Credit Bank have been accumulated.

In 23/11/1999, about 400 acres of the most fertile arable lands lie at the coast of Karoun lake exposed to flooding when water of the drainage increased while the machines of removing the drainage water have been broke down. The farmers have assured that they have been affected with fatal loses when their crops of clover and wheat flooded with this septic water.

In 9/10/1999, the authority of agricultural reform made of 1060 farmers homeless when its officials sold 152 acres of the reformed lands which the farmers were reclaimed about 25 years ago. The farmer Mahmoud A. Salman reported that "we have exposed unprecedented maltreatment and persecution when the governorate invited us in a party for the Day of Farmer. In the party, one of the authority's officials announced that a public auction would be held for selling the plot which we lease despite we still pay the determined fees".

In the same time the same authority in Beni Swaif executed several arbitrary procedures against the farmers when it executed the administrative confiscation of their plots and properties. The authority has also warned the farmers that they are likely to sentenced in jail because they are disable to pay the fines that ranged from ŁE 700 to 800 for each acre for they infringed the agricultural decided course.

In their complaint to the Land Center farmers mentioned that the authority of agricultural reform enforce them to cultivate specific crops which consider with low profit compared with others crops that we used to cultivate to earn our sustenance.

Based on what mentioned, Land Center for human Rights has brought a complaint to the Minister of Agriculture asked him to cancel these fines for the farmers are disable to pay these money.

- 7^th: various other disputes.

The Egyptian rural areas have witnessed many other disputes during the last six months of 1999 added to what mentioned under the six categories mentioned above. Thus, there were many disputes that occurred because various common reasons of what mentioned above of categories. So we prefer to put these event under this title to include the various cases of violence whether reached or had not reached to the court.

For instance, in 14/9/1999, the administration of Suez governorate has issued a resolution for removing 200 cultivated acres in pretext of changing the cordon of the city. The resolution that made dozens of farmers and youths to threaten with initiating a sit down- strike in front of the building of governorate to let the governor see their signboards after they failed in contenting the officials with stopping the resolutions of destroying their plots.

In 2/7/1999, a farmer died and three others wounded in a fight between two families in Al-Mahla Al-Kobra because the manal control of the cotton leaf blots. Where the farmer Sayed Ibrahim Abu AlKhair 48 years shot killed because the conflict for controlling the cotton blots. The police arrested six persons and committed them to the specialized prosecution.

In 20/7/1999, an escort had killed shot killed a boy called Al-Tabary Ramadan 12 years because the last removed some of sugar canes from the field which the escort was keeping. Thus when the escort chased the boy the last insulted the later left him fury where he shot the boy killed. The prosecution detained the escort for four days under investigation.

In 21/7/1999, the agronomist Ahmed Safwat 49 years, from Motobas, went on a hungry strike in his protesting against the local unit that captured his plot to establish an industrial area. Some officials intervened to make Ahmed end the strike and to resort to the judiciary to get his rights.

In 20/8/1999, a farmer called Amer H. Amer killed his son with a sharp tool and torn his body out because the last had borrowed an amount of money from his father. The son refused later to pay the money where the problem developed to a fight resulted in death of the son. The father had arrested and committed to the prosecution.

In 21/8/1999, Al-Zahaira village there have been many strikes occurred after a big family murdered the student Ibrahim Salah Zaki 23 years and wounded his father and uncle. The villagers massed and set the fire I the house of the accused peoples which led to the intervention of the security forces to control the situation. The security forces arrested three persons and committed them to the prosecution.

In 31/8/1999, a farmer had been killed while four other wounded in AbuKirkas because the pasture, where Mahrous Safwat Fahmi has been murdered in a fight between the families of Diab and Khafaga. The fighting was erupted when the sheep of Khafaga pastured in the plot of the other family. The police arrested three persons and committed them to the prosecution.

In 4/9/1999, a farmer called Abdel hamid from Sanours village in Fayyum had gouge out Ali Abdel Fatah's eyes because a dispute over two boards of wood each was claimed his ownership of them.

In 8/9/1999, a police officer in Abu Ghonim village horrified the entire village and arrested about 20 villagers and decided the curfew. All these procedures were because a fighting erupted between the officer and a villager from the village during a wedding party where the officer tried to rape the belly dancer and the villagers resisted him.

In 8/9/1999, the villagers of Badr village in Quena governorate had massed before the building of governorate to protest about the phenomenon land despoliation by water of Nile. The phenomenon has been increased to affect not only the arable lands but also the houses of villagers. Hassan Abu Al-Hamad from the village reported that the land despoliation has lost wide plots of the arable lands then it crippled to the houses.

In 11/9/1999, the court of first instance in Beni Swaif decided to commit the juvenile Thabet Kishar M. Ali 13 years to the institution of Juvenile Delinquency because he murdered his relative M. Goma'a Kishar. The dispute this time was for competition for selling the crops.

In 12/9/1999, dozens of farmers gathered against the building of Quena governorate because the damages they suffered when the administration of drainage decided to remove about 300 acres of sugar canes in order to broaden the project that decided to generalized at the level of governorate.

In 13/9/1999, a young man shoked died when the wire of electricity in the road fell on his head as he was going to the field with his buffalo.

In 12/10/1999, a hunter and farmer and his wife were shot killed in a fighting between two families because Abdel Gawad Abu Risha let his cattle pastured in the field of Megahid Maragi. Where the problem developed from blaming words to fighting and then the guns used to result in deaths of three persons. The police arrested two of accuse persons and committed them to the prosecution.

In22/11/1999, a huge fighting erupted in the village of Al-Amar in Sharkia governorate because a chunk has left between two houses. The family that do not own the chunk asked the other family to remove or transport the chunk away from their house. The situation developed also from just discussion into a fighting in which the white arms used to result in six injuries. The police arrested seven persons involved in the fight and committed them to the prosecution.

In 29/11/1999, a farmer called Ashraf Fahmi shot his brother killed because a sum of money the killed person was borrowed from the killer, where the last used to ask the later to return him his money in vain. Then the situation developed to a fighting resulted in death of the older brother.

In 29/12/1999, a fighting was erupted between both the families of Al-Nawahi and Al-Khatia in Brba village Assuot governorate for old differences on a plot. The fighting was resulted in death of M. Megali M. Abuzaid 52 years and Ali Mahmoud Hassan 35 years. While both of A. Mostafa M. 30 years and Megahid Hassan Migahed 36 years were wounded.

On the other hand the Land Center for Human Rights was received a complaint from the farmers of Naga' Al-Arab in Beni Swaif dated 18/10/1999. It included that they suffer from damages and loses because the Company of Awlad Al-Sai'd (sons of Upper Egypt) and the company of Al-Iman for land reclamation has bought several plots in different size in the desert next to the village. When those companies started the process of reclamation the next village was affected with the drainage water that drained from the desert plots. Where it is known that he saltines is high to the old fertile plots in the village and resulted in several damage to the crops as well as the fertility of the soil.

The center in front of this problem sent an urgent action to both of the governor of Beni Swaif, the Minister of Agriculture and Minister of Irrigation. The Center has sent as well a communiqué No. 2 of 1999 dated 21/10/1999 that was remitted to the prosecution of Beni Swaif for taking the necessary procedures.

The Land Center has also received several complaints from many villages and villagers concerning the crisis of debts that is still exist between the farmers particularly the poor and the Agricultural Development and Credit Bank. For instance in Gizzaya village the villagers were cheated that there was an Americam grant would allowed them to get loans to improve their income where the branch of this bank in Berkash was used for asserting the project.

Since 1990 the bank used to get bills of debt from the farmers contented them that this was just a routine procedure for guarantee the debts despite this is already proved through the contract of loan. Through this was the farmers had lost al the money and become in debt to the bank after they paid about three folds of the debt in form of interests.

In this respect the Land Center for human Right filed several lawsuits for these farmers take these numbers: 8425, 8426, 18676, 18675, 18674 of 1999 before the court of first instance in Imbaba.

Under the title of the various disputes the center was also received many complaints were concerning the farmers' rights in inhabitance. Thus in Ahnasia village that belongs to the governorate of Beni Swaif the re were more than 85 houses collapsed after the village was flooded which refer to the pool that places in an area of 20 acres which resulted from the drainage.

The center in responding to this problem sent an urgent action to the governor of Beni Swaif where he replied at 31/8/199 with a message included:

The reason of this problem is that an engineer from the company of estates that works in the infrastructure in an area of 6000 acres. He had drained water of this pool in more quantities than the capacity if the drainage, which led to collapsing of the drainage walls where water seeped into the houses that place in lower level from the sea.

The reply also included the procedures that the governorate had conducted like determining the number of affected people that reached about 91 families where they gave about ŁE 12375 added to the blankets that distributed over them.

Part three: Final notes.

After we have briefly presented the disputes that took place in the Egyptian rural areas during the 2^nd half of 1999. We would like to indicate to a number of notes and recommendations to which we hope the responsible and assigned officials would contribute in order to preserve the rights of farmers to live in social peace and security. The most important of these notes are:

1- we are still drawing the attention that giving the landlords all the liberty in determine the rental value according and only their view and willing would result in more deterioration of the plots. Where all the tenant farmers that take the plot for limited period usually is one year are not feeling with affiliation to the plot as it was before. So the main target of both the landlord and tenant farmer is how to get as much as possible earnings from the plot on the account of its fertility and other aspects.

2- providing the enough supplies of water that necessary for irrigation the old plots the thing which can be achieved through the improvement of the irrigation network. Thus the old plots should take the priority in irrigation because in which many plants van be cultivated to give good crops.

3- the state policy that aimed to confine the role of the Ministry of Agriculture to research, guidance and distributing the agricultural necessaries has led to annulment of the role of cooperative. While the Agricultural Development and Credit Bank has turn to an institution distributes the necessaries of production at the prices of market exactly as the merchant whose main target is to achieve the most profits.

4- it seems there is sever negligence and carelessness from the Ministry of Health in the rural areas and that the health of citizens is not any more of the priority of the government particularly after the privatization of treatment.

5- leaving millions of farmer without organizations or associations may lead to a disaster particularly after the declination of the role of societies and absence of the unions and organizational forms in the rural areas.

6- if the small farmers are the first victims which affected by the land law whether when they expelled from the plots and house or when they become in debt to the bank in high interests. It is of fairness those farmers to not full as victims again through the bank particularly where they become disable to pay the compound interests. Where the authorities assigned should consider the remained interests as of the paid debts.

In the end, the Center through this report appeals for the officials in all the assigned authorities to activate these recommendations. It also appeals for the members of the various legislative councils and parliaments to protect the rights of farmers and stopping the violations to which they expose everyday in the rural areas.

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Part Four: Annexes

Table (1)

The number of cases of deaths and injuries during the 2^nd half of 1999 that occurred for the ownership and inheritance.

Serial No.	Date	Scene	Injuries	Deaths	Arrested	Cause
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20	7/7/99 10/7 17/7 10/9 16/9 1/10 2/10 2/10 16/10 24/10 5/11 7/11 12/11 11/12 24/11 9/12 20/10 15/7 27/10 1/8/99	Kafr-AlGhamima- Sinblawin Dakahlia Hamra Dom village- Quena Al-Samta- Deshna Meet Ghamr- Dakahlia Shark Alnil, Beni Swaif Sohag District Malawi. Menia Zawiat AlSeba', Qualiubia Hamra Dom Quena Abnub Assiut Damshish, Tanta Shebin Al-Kanater Alhay village, Manflut, Assiut Hegaza, Kous, Quena Al-Blabish, Sohag Maghagha, Menia Al-Domaini, Kafr Al-Sjhaikh Dir Mowas, Menia Kum Embo, Aswan Al-Soltan village, Beba, Beni Swaif	2 3 4 - 2 - 2 3 2 7 3 8 4 5 3 7 7 2 2 8 3	- 1 1 - 1 6 - - 2 1 - 1 4 1 - 3 1 1 1 1	3 5 4 2 2 2 3 4 4 5 6 2 5 4 23 9 3 1 2 3	Ownership Ownership Inheritance Inheritance Inheritance Ownership Ownership Ownership Inheritance Inheritance Ownership Ownership Inheritance Ownership Ownership Ownership Ownership Ownership Ownership Ownership
Total			77	25	92

Source: Land Center for human Rights

Table (2)

The number of cases of deaths and injuries during the 2^nd half of 1999 that occurred for the landlines.

Serial No.	Date	Scene	Injuries	Deaths	Arrested
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8	12/8/99 15/8/99 27/8/99 17/9/99 28/10/99 9/11/99 10/8/99 15/8/99	Tama village, Giza Afeeh, Giza Al-Mahla Al-Kobra Sohag Manflout, Assuit Sonbat, Gharbia Cairo- Alex highway Abu Ragwan, Giza	1 3 6 6 3 5 5 2	- 2 - - -	1 2 2 3 6 2
Total			31	5	18

Source: Land Center for Human Rights.

Table (3)

The number of cases of deaths and injuries during the 2^nd half of 1999 that occurred for the irrigation.

Serial No.	Date	Scene	Injuries	Deaths	Arrested
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9	5/8/99 27/8/99 31/8/99 29/9/99 25/10/99 16/8/99 15/9/99 19/10/99 25/12/99	Quesna, Fayyum Tahta, Sohag Dahshour, Badrashin, Giza Zat Al-Kum, Imbaba, Giza Al-Moa'yda AlSharkia, Assiut Quena Abu Ragwan, Ala'yat, Giza Beni Mousa. Menia Kum Hamada	2 13 4 4 5 4 7 15 -	- - - 3 -	3 15 runaway 5 9 3 18 15 1
Total			54	7	69

Source: Land Center for Human Rights.

Table (4)

The number of cases of deaths and injuries during the 2^nd half of 1999 that occurred for the rental relation.

Serial No.	Date	Scene	Injuries	Deaths	Arrested
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9	15/7/99 10/8/99 2/9/99 6/9/99 21/9/99 21/9/99 18/10/99 22/10/99 17/8/99	Yazid, Ahnasia, Beni Swaif Khazandria, Tahta, Sohag Dahshour, Badrashin, Giza Dir Al-Mahrouk, Assuit Naga' Al-Nagar, Sohag Shenwa, Giza Beni Shakir, Manflout, Assuit Ezbat Awlad Hamza, Assuit AlKababat village, Giza	6 2 11 - - 2 -	4 2 -	15 2 4 2 2 2 2
Total			23	13	30

Source: Land Center for Human Rights.

Table (5)

The number of cases of deaths and injuries during the 2^nd half of 1999 that occurred for various disputes.

Serial No.	Date	Scene	Injuries	Deaths	Arrested
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13	2/7/99 20/7/99 20/8/99 21/8/99 31/8/99 4/9/99 8/9/99 11/9/99 13/9/99 12/10/99 22/10/99 29/10/99 29/12/99	Al-Mahla Al-Kobra Quena District Tanma, Sohag Al-Zahaira village, Dakahlia Talida, Abu Krikas Sanours, Fayyum Al-Mahla, Gharbia Shark Al-Nil, Beni Swaif Abu Al-Mir, Fayyum Sanhour, Fayyum Al-Amar, Sharkia Quena District Berba, Sadfa, Assiut	3 - - 6 4 - - - 3 7 4	1 - - 2 - - 2	6 3 3 20 - 2 7 4
Total			25	9	46

Source: Land Center for Human Rights.

Table (6)

The total numbers of deaths and injuries in the Egyptian rural areas during the 2^nd half of 1999.

Serial No.	Kind of dispute	Injuries	Deaths	Arrested
1 2 3 4 5	Ownership and inheritance Rental relationship Irrigation Various Landlines Others	77 23 54 29 31 100	25 13 7 11 5 3	92 30 69 56 18 -
Total		314	64	265

Source: Land Center for Human Rights.

References:

The report has mainly based on the following:

* The presses archive during 2^nd half of 1999.

* The complaints of farmers in the LCHR.

*Lawsuits files in the LCHR.

Board of Trustees · Dr. Mahmoud Elsaqqa professor of law at C.U Dr. Adel Eid Lawyer · Dr. Fathy Abdel Fatah Prof. of Social Scie. head of Info Res. Center. Gomhurya News. · Dr. Ibrahim Abaza Prof. of Economics at C.U · Dr. Albeir Beshara Prof. of Agricultural Eco. Director of Ago. Res. C. · Dr. M. El-Desouki Prof. of Psycho- Science STAFF · Karam Saber Executive Manager · Mahmoud Gabr Legal Unit Officer · Rabie Wahba Int. Relations Officer · Hisham Abdel Halim Field Work Officer · Abdel Moula M. Researches Unit Officer · Khalil Abo Alhassan Researcher · Manar Mohammed Researcher · Emad Abo Zaid Researcher · Ashraf Saad Aziz Lawyer · Wae'l M. Abdo Lawyer · Yehia hassan Lawyer · Khaled Farag Lawyer · Nargis Fayez Lawyer · Nader Abdel Wahab Lawyer · Madiha Sayed Ali Executive Secretary

THE AIMS ¨ To provide legal protection against maltreatment for children working in agriculture. ¨ To contribute in improvement of works conditions in Egyptian rural areas. ¨ To support farmers or agricultural workers unions and organization. ¨ To generalize and provoke public opinion around issues of social interest such as the consequences of the law No. 96 of 1992, the problems suffered by workers, women and children in the agricultural sector and the absence of social security, labor contracts, unions, etc. ¨ To establish strong bonds with local and international organizations who interest themselves in human rights activity. THE ACTIVITIES n The Legal Advocacy against: all forms of discrimination, violence, maltreatment, and torture that the farmers, farmer labors, children and women may expose to in the rural areas. n Monitoring all the human rights violations that occur in the rural areas, particularly in concerning of the right to health care, house, work, and clean environment. n Issuing the reports and studies that demonstrate the conditions of the farmers in the rural areas in order to contribute to creating an appropriate legislative structure in line with the rules of the constitution and the international covenants of human rights. n Developing the citizens' consciousness about their human rights through issuing the following series: "Reports of the Economic and Social Rights" - "Land and Farmer" - Humanistic Concepts - and "Your Legal Rights". n Establishing a network of volunteers and training them on working in the field of human rights.

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Human Rights in Egypt

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This document is published online by Derechos Human Rights