Misseriya ‘forcing’ Central Darfur shop owners to pay fees

Umm Dukhun’s Chamber of Commerce is discontent about fees “Misseriya militias” have been forcing shop owners to pay. “Militias” reportedly claim the money collected would be used to buy food, weapons and ammunition to their fighters.A trader said the Misseriya have imposed a fee of 200 Sudanese pounds ($45) per shop after notifying the decision to local authorities and to the Chamber of Commerce. He also said the tribesmen threaten to invade and plunder the shops of those who refuse to pay the taxes and noted the fees’ collection began on Monday. “The Misseriya carry black plastic bags, locally known as Abbaker Kona, and pass them from shop to shop to collect the money”, a merchant recounted. “In case they do not find the shopkeeper, the tribesmen break into the store and take the equivalent amount of the fee in cash or in-kind”, he added. On Wednesday, after the broadcast of this news, the head of the Chamber of Commerce called Radio Dabanga and denied the allegations above. He said the Chamber is collecting donated money from all shops and asserted the initiative is not linked to militias’ activities. The funds will be reinvested in the locality, he said. Some two weeks ago in Umm Dukhun a Misseriya tribesman allegedly tried looting and opening fire on a Salamat man, who was not hurt. Violent hostilities erupted the next day when 4,000 men of both sides began battling each other. In the meantime, fighting has spread north and to South Darfur. The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) says Tissi town in neighboring Chad has received 50,000 refugees fleeing the tribal clashes in one week calling it the “largest influx of refugees from Sudan into Chad since 2005”.Map: Umm Dukhun, Central Darfur (OCHA- cropped)Related: 500 Salamat families ‘deported’ from South Darfur town (16 April 2013)