340 lorries ‘stuck’ in Kutum, North Darfur

Lorry owners in North Darfur have been waiting for more than two weeks in Kutum in North Darfur for a permit to join a guarded convoy for the El Fasher-Fata Borno-Kutum-Kabkabiya route. One of the lorry owners told Radio Dabanga on 11 November that the number of lorries waiting for a permit has reached 340. “We’ve been stuck in Kutum for 18 days now.” “The North Darfur authorities have also raised the guarding fees for a convoy from SDG1,000 ($225) to SDG7,000 ($1,570). This amount is too high. We demanded the authorities reduce the traffic fees as well as to allow us to use any passage instead of being restricted to the El Fasher-Kabkabiya road.” According to the lorry owner, the real reason for the problem is that “nomads and Abbala militias have struck a deal to guard the passage of commercial vehicles on the El Fasher-Kabkabiya road. That is why the fees were raised to such an extent”. He added that the delay has caused a crisis for the citizens in North Darfur due a lack of goods and resulting price increases. Ambush Militiamen opened fire on a bus in the Abu Hamra area in North Darfur, wounding one of the passengers in the leg. Another bus passenger explained to Radio Dabanga that the bus was on the way from Abu Hamra to Nyala, the capital of South Darfur. “The bus did not stop and managed to reach Nyala safely.” Donkeys stolen Also in North Darfur, three donkeys were stolen from farmer Hussein Mohamed Hussein near Abu Ashara, south of Menawashi, when he was on his way to his farm. Another farmer told Radio Dabanga that militiamen opened fire on Hussein but missed. They then robbed him of his three donkeys. The farmer noted that “these militiamen regularly rob citizens in this way”. File photo