Militiamen provide ‘public transport’ in North Darfur

02/12/2014 15:40

Residents of Kutum town in North Darfur complain about the halting of transport on the Kutum-El Fasher road, after the arrangement of guarded convoys was cancelled a week ago. “This measure is giving free reign to militiamen to impose all kinds of levies and fees at their so-called toll-gates on the road,” a resident of Kutum told Radio Dabanga on Monday. “As commercial car owners now hesitate to take the Kutum-El Fasher road, militiamen are filling the gap, and use their military Land Cruisers to transport people and goods instead,” he reported. “The price per passenger for a ride from Kutum to El Fasher by military vehicle ranges between SDG130 and SDG150 ($26), while we used to pay SDG50 to SDG60 ($10,50). He urged to the authorities to “quickly take action, and resume the system of guarded convoys on the road as soon as possible”.   File photo: Military vehicle in Darfur Related: Student abducted, women molested in Kutum, North Darfur (1 December 2014)

Residents of Kutum town in North Darfur complain about the halting of transport on the Kutum-El Fasher road, after the arrangement of guarded convoys was cancelled a week ago.

“This measure is giving free reign to militiamen to impose all kinds of levies and fees at their so-called toll-gates on the road,” a resident of Kutum told Radio Dabanga on Monday.

“As commercial car owners now hesitate to take the Kutum-El Fasher road, militiamen are filling the gap, and use their military Land Cruisers to transport people and goods instead,” he reported. “The price per passenger for a ride from Kutum to El Fasher by military vehicle ranges between SDG130 and SDG150 ($26), while we used to pay SDG50 to SDG60 ($10,50).

He urged to the authorities to “quickly take action, and resume the system of guarded convoys on the road as soon as possible”.  

File photo: Military vehicle in Darfur

Related: Student abducted, women molested in Kutum, North Darfur (1 December 2014)