South Darfur Chamber of Commerce imposes ‘security fees’

Owners of shops at the grand market of Nyala, capital of South Darfur, protest the imposition of “security fees” by the Chamber of Commerce. Shop owners told the Sudanese press on Tuesday that staff members of the Chamber of Commerce addressed them after the noon prayers at the market mosque. They pointed out that the Commissioner of Nyala municipality assigned them with collecting the amount of SDG1 bn ($174 m) at the markets in Nyala to support the security measures the South Darfur State authorities launched on 15 July, in an attempt to curb the rampant insecurity in the state. “They told us that therefore they will collect SDG200 ($35) from each market shop.” The shop owners stressed that they are not against the supporting of the security measures, but they criticise the way the Chamber of Commerce decided on the imposed amount. File photo: Vendor at a market in Malha locality, North Darfur (Sojoud Elgarrai/Unamid) Related: Strict security measures in South Darfur capital (28 July 2014)