Seven vehicles seized at militia ‘toll gate’ in South Darfur

A group of militiamen seized seven commercial transport vehicles in the area of Saraf Mur in Nierteti locality today.

Speaking to Radio Dabanga, one of the passengers reported that the pick-up truck he was travelling in was halted at a “militia toll gate” on the road between Nierteti town, South Darfur, and Guldo in Central Darfur this (Friday) morning.

“The six other passenger vehicles of the convoy were stopped too. The militiamen ordered the owners and drivers to pay them passage fees of SDG5,000 ($830) per vehicle,” he said. “When they refused to pay, those Janjaweed took the vehicles instead.”

He added that this was the second incident of this kind this week. “In the beginning of this week, the militiamen demanded fees from a number of vehicles en route to Guldo. They refused, whereupon they were ordered, at gunpoint, to return to Nierteti.”

The passenger called on the authorities to “intervene, remove those illegal toll gates, and protect the transport in the region”.

Yesterday, angry bus owners, drivers, and passengers staged a protest in front of the South Darfur government offices in the state capital Nyala, against 40 “toll gates” and repeated attacks on buses and other passenger vehicles on the Nyala-El Fasher road.