Recently, all we talk about is Jemna. It has become the new bone of contention. Exchanges are violent, charged with furor and raised voices. In the médias aux ordres, the most unlikely of arguments are used to denounce the occupation of land by peasants. Such arguments say more about the fantasies of their authors than they do about the reality of the situation.
The Association for the Protection of Jemna’s Oasis remains, since its creation in 2011, illegitimate in the eyes of the State. This month, the Ministry of State Properties and Land Affairs, which leased the land to private operators before 2011, issued a statement threatening to cancel the call for tenders. Jemna’s residents, however, are resisting the government’s sudden intervention.
مساء يوم السبت، 10 سبتمبر 2016، كانت الحركيّة غير عاديّة في وسط المدينة، بعد أن دعت جمعية حماية واحات جمنة إلى اجتماع شعبي لتدارس إنذارات الدولة بخصوص استرجاع ضيعة المعمّر ومصادرة محصول سنة 2016، وتولّي إدارة البتّة العمومية المزمع عقدها يوم الأحد 18 سبتمبر الجاري، بحضور النائب عن حركة الشعب زهير المغزاوي الذي حضر لمساندة الأهالي.
L’Association de défense des oasis de Jemna reste, depuis sa création en 2011, illégitime aux yeux de l’Etat. Ce mois-ci, le ministère des Domaines de l’Etat et des affaires foncières, qui louait la ferme aux opérateurs privés avant 2011, a publié un communiqué menaçant d’annuler l’offre d’appels. Mais les habitants de Jemna s’y opposent fermement.
In the town of Jemna, residents have formed an association dedicated to the preservation and cultivation of 185 hectares of reclaimed oases for the production of dates. The Association for the Protection of Jemna’s Oases is composed of 129 workers including farmers and security guards, three supervisors responsible for managing the workers, administration and finances, plus one general supervisor. Nawaat has traveled to meet with the individuals who have taken over the land in the name of Jemna and its residents.
