The Secretary of State for Toponymy and Urban Organisation (SEATOU) will continue to identify people occupying Portuguese-era houses in the capital, Dili.
SEATOU Secretary Germano Santa Brites Dias said that in Dili there are many communities occupying Portuguese houses, including in Motael near the Jardim 5 de Maio.
“We will first identify who is occupying houses and land from the Portuguese times so that they can be relocated from those areas,” he said.
He added that after identification, dialogue will be created with the occupying communities to find solutions.
“Currently, we are focusing attention on communities occupying Portuguese houses,” he emphasised.
He also stated that these communities fall within SEATOU’s target.
Meanwhile, Motael Suco Chief Luís António Gusmão Viegas said that in Motael there are two aldeias, Halibur and Liru, whose communities occupy houses and land from the Portuguese and Indonesian periods.
“The communities in these two aldeias consist of around 300 households occupying these houses and lands,” he said.
He noted that houses from the Portuguese and Indonesian periods are considered state property, and when the state requires them to vacate, they must comply.
“As local authorities, we have already informed the communities, and they are now waiting for the government to act,” he said.He added that it is important to create dialogue with the communities and ensure proper conditions for them, as these communities include elderly people, children and pregnant women.
