Four vehicles pay SDG 8,000 at North Darfur ‘toll gate’

Gunmen stopped four commercial vehicles in Kabkabiya locality, North Darfur, on Monday, demanding “passage fees”. Speaking to Radio Dabanga, a passenger reported that a group of militiamen intercepted a small convoy of four Nissan truck cars at the Aween Jaro gate, located east of Kabkabiya town, on Monday. The vehicles were on their way from Kabkabiya to El Fasher, capital of North Darfur. “The assailants demanded passage fees of SDG 2,000 ($350) for each vehicle. They threatened the vehicles would be confiscated or set on fire if we would not pay. After consultation, one of the vehicle owners, guarded by some of the gunmen, returned to Kabkabiya to fetch SDG 8,000.” “After handing the militiamen the amount, the vehicle owners refused to continue to El Fasher, and returned to Kabkabiya. They said that they could not afford to pay fees again at the more than 20 so-called toll gates between Kabkabiya and El Fasher,” the passenger said. File photo by Albert González Farran/Unamid Related:Passengers shot at North Darfur militia ‘toll gate’ (10 August 2014) Militia ‘toll gates’ paralyse transport in North Darfur (27 May 2014)