Shafaq News- Ramadi

Residents of the al-Sufiyah area in Iraq's Al-Anbar province are facing the possible demolition of their houses amid a property ownership dispute with the provincial branch of the Engineers Syndicate, with both sides presenting conflicting ownership documents dating back decades.

The syndicate claims legal ownership of the land based on an official title deed issued in 2000, while residents say their families have owned and occupied the properties for generations, citing ownership documents dating back to 1931.

Resident Abdul Faraj Hassan told Shafaq News that families had lived on the land for generations and held documents proving their ownership. He said residents were surprised by notices ordering them to remove their homes without being informed of the legal basis for the new ownership claims.

Hassan added that residents were informed about a month ago that the Engineers Syndicate was claiming ownership of the land based on a 2000 title deed, despite their documents dating back to 1931. He questioned how ownership could have changed and what legal grounds supported the procedures.

“Many families had lived in their homes for decades, with some properties inherited from their parents and grandparents,” he said. Residents had approached the courts and appealed to relevant authorities but had yet to secure a solution to the dispute or guarantees that they could remain in their homes.

Another resident, Nihad Ahmed, told Shafaq News that a group of families living in the al-Sufiyah area, near al-Haq Mosque, had occupied the land since the 1970s, with ownership passed down through generations.

Ahmed called on Al-Anbar Governor Omar Mishaan Dabous to review the case, saying residents had spent their savings building their homes over many years before receiving notices demanding their removal following the syndicate's ownership claim.

He questioned where families would go if the demolition orders were enforced, citing concerns for children, sick people, and elderly residents who had nowhere else to live and lacked the financial means to relocate.

Ahmed also criticized the “lack of response to residents' repeated appeals,” urging provincial officials to consider their humanitarian circumstances and prevent families from losing their homes.

Residents said they were seeking a fair review of the conflicting ownership documents and verification of their legal rights before any demolition measures proceed.

Shafaq News contacted the Al-Anbar provincial government and the provincial council for comment on the dispute, but both declined to provide a response. 

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