Two weeks after authorities began clearing residents from the Niamey airport zone in Niger, and a week following the government’s resettlement pledge, the affected families have officially broken their silence through their legal representative.

Maître Idrissa Tchernaka, the legal counsel representing the evicted residents, held a press conference over the weekend, to address the state’s proposed package. The response comes after Niger’s Minister of Justice announced that every displaced household would be allocated a new plot of land, with compensation calibrated proportionally according to the size and financial value of their original properties.

Speaking on behalf of the displaced families, Tchernaka stated that his clients have formally taken note of the government’s olive branch. While the community welcomes the state’s willingness to rectify their sudden displacement, their acceptance hinges on the transparency and fairness of how these property valuations will be calculated.

The evicted residents have expressed relief at the prospect of stable resettlement but remain cautious about potential bureaucratic delays. Families are now urging the Ministry to expedite the land allocation process to avoid prolonged displacement, stressing that any compensation framework must accurately reflect the real market value of the homes they were forced to leave behind.

–ChannelAfrica–