Militia ‘toll gates’ paralyse transport in North Darfur
All the domestic bus travel from El Fasher to Kutum in North Darfur has stopped since Sunday morning. Travel agents have attributed the stop to the increasing number of random ‘toll gates, along the vital El Fasher-Kutum road. There are 34 gates in total, according to the travel bus owners, claiming that the travel costs are too high. “A small vehicle that carries ten passengers is charged SDG900 ($157), while a bus will be charged SDG3,600 ($628). Let alone the costs of other procedures related to travel and fuel.” The travel agents called upon the North Darfur state government to intervene in resolving this problem by cancelling these random gates. A listener told Radio Dabanga two weeks ago that militiamen have randomly set up more than 20 checkpoints along the El Fasher-Kutum road. “They are demanding fees from each vehicle passing by, rob passengers, and steal from lorries. This has caused a huge shortage of basic goods and soaring prices.” Militiamen are control of Kutum locailty, in the absence of authorities since two years. Tawila market closed, road blocked The Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) commander in Tawila locality, North Darfur, issued a decision to close the weekly market on both Saturday and Tuesday. He further denied the entry of any armed personnel to the market on any normal day. One of the citizens told Radio Dabanga that the decision of the SAF commander came against the backdrop of the opening of the weekly market of Tawila last Saturday. It had been closed for a period of three weeks, following an attack by a pro-government militia led by Musa Abu Kinaish on the market. However, the pro-government militiamen entered the market again on Saturday, in large numbers, carrying weapons. This resulted in the decision to close the market again. The source revealed that the militias have established a camp at Jebel Kusa area, 20 km east of Tawila. They have blocked the vital road connecting Tawila with El Fasher city and rob whoever uses that road. File photo: Pro-government militiamen attack civilians, right outside the fence of a Unamid reported base, in Kutum, North Darfur (5 September 2012) (Photo by Unamid) Related: Army confronts robbers at Tawila market, North Darfur (12 May 2014) El Fasher-Kutum road closed in North Darfur (26 March 2014)
All the domestic bus travel from El Fasher to Kutum in North Darfur has stopped since Sunday morning. Travel agents have attributed the stop to the increasing number of random ‘toll gates, along the vital El Fasher-Kutum road.
There are 34 gates in total, according to the travel bus owners, claiming that the travel costs are too high. “A small vehicle that carries ten passengers is charged SDG900 ($157), while a bus will be charged SDG3,600 ($628). Let alone the costs of other procedures related to travel and fuel.”
The travel agents called upon the North Darfur state government to intervene in resolving this problem by cancelling these random gates.
A listener told Radio Dabanga two weeks ago that militiamen have randomly set up more than 20 checkpoints along the El Fasher-Kutum road. “They are demanding fees from each vehicle passing by, rob passengers, and steal from lorries. This has caused a huge shortage of basic goods and soaring prices.” Militiamen are control of Kutum locailty, in the absence of authorities since two years.
Tawila market closed, road blocked
The Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) commander in Tawila locality, North Darfur, issued a decision to close the weekly market on both Saturday and Tuesday. He further denied the entry of any armed personnel to the market on any normal day.
One of the citizens told Radio Dabanga that the decision of the SAF commander came against the backdrop of the opening of the weekly market of Tawila last Saturday. It had been closed for a period of three weeks, following an attack by a pro-government militia led by Musa Abu Kinaish on the market.
However, the pro-government militiamen entered the market again on Saturday, in large numbers, carrying weapons. This resulted in the decision to close the market again.
The source revealed that the militias have established a camp at Jebel Kusa area, 20 km east of Tawila. They have blocked the vital road connecting Tawila with El Fasher city and rob whoever uses that road.
File photo: Pro-government militiamen attack civilians, right outside the fence of a Unamid reported base, in Kutum, North Darfur (5 September 2012) (Photo by Unamid)
Related:
Army confronts robbers at Tawila market, North Darfur (12 May 2014)
El Fasher-Kutum road closed in North Darfur (26 March 2014)
and then