Bandits plunder ‘guarded’ convoy in North Darfur

A commercial convoy has been plundered by bandits in North Darfur, despite the presence of armed guards.

Witnesses told Radio Dabanga that the 38-vehicle convoy was travelling from Kabkabiya to the North Darfur capital of El Fasher yesterday, when it was intercepted by a group of gunmen, driving Land Cruisers mounted with Dushka machineguns. The attackers stripped the passengers and drivers of all the vehicles of their mobile phones, cash, and anything else of value.

No casualties were reported, nor has there been any account of the response of the members of the paramilitary Border Guards (Abu Teira ) and Rapid Support Forces charged with guarding the convoy.

Last month, Radio Dabanga reported that a series of hijacks around Tawila locality, and a spate of abductions on the roads surrounding Kutum were keeping most commercial traffic off the roads in North Darfur.