‘Troops harass travellers in Sudan’s Red Sea’

Travellers on the roads in eastern Sudan’s Red Sea state complain about the harassments by Military Intelligence troops.
Activist and lawyer Abdelgader Mohamed Saleh said that harassments and provocations by members of the military intelligence on the roads near Ageeg area have occurred regularly recently. Victims are travellers south of Tokar, moving from and to Dirdheb, Ageeg and Port Sudan.
Military intelligence troops would stop vehicles and travellers to question them and search the cars. People are held up for a long time, often for at least an hour, according to Saleh.
“These harassments hinder the people’s movements whose lives are related to Port Sudan,” Saleh told Radio Dabanga. “Their visits to relatives, the hospital, and the shops are delayed.”
Roadside checks by the military used to be common in Red Sea state before the signing of the Eastern Sudan Peace Agreement (ESPA) in 2006. The Eastern Front, including the Beja Congress, then agreed with the Sudanese government to lay down its arms, share powers, and reintegrate the rebel forces into the Sudanese army. It also provided a framework for development in the region.
The root causes of conflict in this part of the country were, among others, related to natural resources, and the presence of a significant number of arms, according to Small Arms Survey. The unresolved issue of access to land and equity in resource distribution are other factors that make this region prone to conflict.