North Darfur Chamber of Commerce threatened by security agents

The Chamber of Commerce in Kabkabiya locality, North Darfur, has withdrawn its decision to close the Kabkabiya Market, after the local security agents threatened to impose fines on the shop owners.

On 10 September, the traders and shop owners of the Kabkabiya Market closed their stores and stalls in protest against repeated assaults by militiamen.

The Chamber of Commerce requested the locality’s commissioner to intervene. “The authorities however did not move a finger,” a trader told Radio Dabanga a week ago.

“We are fed up with the authorities silence about the repeated attacks on our shops and lorries with goods coming from Khartoum, and the imposition of ridiculous passage fees on the lorries at random toll gates set up by the militiamen near the city,” the trader reported yesterday.

“On Friday, the Chamber of Commerce announced that the market would be closed again on Saturday,” he said. “Yet, it repealed the decision after agents of the Kabkabiya security apparatus threatened the Chamber and said they would impose a fine on each trader who would close his shop.”