Land boom will change ancient ways on Nile island; Value of Tuti's real estate has surged as a 183m-suspension bridge linking it to downtown Khartoum nears completion, writes Edmund Sanders.(Dispatches) From: The Sunday Independent (South Africa) | Date: April 6, 2008 | COPYRIGHT 2008 Independent News & Media PLC. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan.  All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group.Copyright information

The people of Tuti, a tiny, crescent-shaped island, have fought off invasions from mainland Khartoum for more than 700 years.

Early settlers of Tuti, nestled at the confluence of the White Nile and Blue Nile, relied on the rushing river to fend off hostile tribes. As Khartoum grew into Sudan's bustling capital, residents here clung to their cultural isolation, striving to maintain the feel of a sleepy farming village, even though their island is just a stone's throw from...