‘Authorities confiscate money at checkpoints’

Traders and civilians crossing over the Sudan-Chad border complain of government officials seizing their currency

Traders working in Sudan’s border areas with Chad complained on Sunday of Sudanese government authorities confiscating their money at border checkpoints.A representative of the traders told Radio Dabanga, “The government authorities confiscated all the money that we had in possession. People were coming from Chad into Sudan to change their currency. We were carrying Sudanese pounds because it is also accepted in Chad.”

Sudanese citizens residing in Chad who cross over to Sudan to meet family or friends are also facing similar problems.

In five border checkpoints along the border, traders also complained of being demanded an excise duty for carrying their goods over to the neighbouring country. Sudanese traders, however, are allowed to carry out trade with Chad according to an agreement signed by the two countries.

The trader told Radio Dabanga. “We would like to appeal to the authorities in Khartoum and West Darfur to intervene and help us recover our money, so that we can replace the currency before the expiry date.”

The government has set September 1 as the deadline for all citizens to replace their old currency with the new Sudanese pound. Sudan followed in South Sudan’s footsteps, after the latter decided to introduce a new currency post-independence.