Rapid Support was able to control 80% of the Darfur region (Al Jazeera)

Khartoum -

The Western Rescue Road, which connects the city of Kosti to the five states of Darfur in western Sudan, is witnessing a dangerous phenomenon that threatens the security and stability of the local community and puts the lives of residents and the movement of transport and trade in danger. This road has turned into a scene of incidents of theft and looting, and repeated violations at the hands of armed men belonging to the support forces. Fast and loyal to her.

The Western Salvation Road (Khartoum - El Fasher) is considered the only main and land corridor linking eastern Sudan with the five states of Darfur, and it extends for a distance of about 1,280 kilometers. Its construction work began in early 1995, and ended in 2014, with a celebration organized in the city of El Fasher to receive the first tourist buses that arrived in the city from Khartoum, passing through the cities of Kosti and El Obeid via this road.

For months, movement on this road has been disrupted in an unprecedented way, due to the escalation of security chaos and the increase in fees imposed on buses and travel trucks by Rapid Support members, in addition to an increase in cases of theft and armed looting, and as a result the commercial and economic situation in the Darfur region has deteriorated.

The Al Jazeera Net correspondent tried in vain to communicate with any official from the Rapid Support Forces to respond to these accusations.

Frequent accidents

According to reports and eyewitnesses who spoke to Al Jazeera Net, the road witnesses daily incidents of theft, looting, and attacks on travelers’ luggage by the checkpoints and inspection points set up by the Rapid Support elements on the road, in addition to physical attacks on drivers and some passengers, and forcing anyone who raises suspicions to get off and go to a destination. Anonymous.

Witness Sarah Ahmed, a resident of El Fasher, said that she was subjected to a robbery while traveling on the western road. She explained to Al Jazeera Net that a group of armed elements affiliated with the Rapid Support attacked the bus she was traveling in and stole from the passengers their luggage and money, in addition to mobile phones.

She stated that there is no security on the road, and that travelers live in a state of constant fear when using the road. She continued, "We fear for our lives when we travel on this road, as drivers and passengers are exposed to threats and attacks, and our luggage and belongings are stolen. There is no safety or protection."

According to witness Salma Ibrahim, one of those who traveled on the road, last week gunmen fired heavy bullets at the bus she was traveling in in an attempt to stop it with the aim of obtaining sums of money by force, which led to one of the passengers being seriously injured in the head.

She explained that they beat many of the driver's assistants with rifle butts under the pretext of not obeying their instructions, noting that the Rapid Support militants usually target young travelers and drivers, causing casualties and serious injuries, so that many residents are avoiding traveling on this road, and choosing alternative routes. Longer and more rugged journeys to reach their destinations.

Price increase

While many owners of travel and transportation companies expressed their deep concern about these developments and their negative impact on the transportation sector in Darfur, Muhammad Yahya, the owner of a travel agency in the city of El Fasher, told Al Jazeera Net that the price of a travel ticket from (Kusti to El Fasher) rose to 180,000 Sudanese pounds ($300). Approximately) instead of 70 thousand pounds in the previous two months ($116).

He explained that the horrific attacks on the road had a major impact on the travel sector, which led to an increase in bus ticket prices, which burdened travelers and had a negative impact on the general lives of citizens.

He added, "It has become difficult for many people to afford travel costs, as travel bus owners pay exorbitant transit fees for rapid support, ranging from two million pounds to 1,800 million pounds per trip, which is equivalent to more than 33 thousand dollars per trip."

The problem of Rapid Support violations on this road began after the fall of 80% of the cities of the region, such as El Geneina, Zalingei, Nyala, and Al-Daein, where the road witnessed the presence of members of the Rapid Support and others loyal to them.

Measures required

The head of the Darfur Tribes Forum, Dr. Nour El-Din Rahma, told Al Jazeera Net that the top priority at the present time is protecting the lives and safety of citizens, expressing his dissatisfaction with the increasing incidents of attacks on citizens and the looting of their property on the road.

He appealed to the center's government to take the necessary measures to intervene urgently to disperse those on the road, saying, "The government and the local community must work together to eliminate these criminal acts of rapid support and ensure that citizens live in a safe and stable environment."

In the midst of this situation, and more than 10 months after the Sudan war, the residents of the Darfur region in the west of the country are still struggling to find safe corridors that enable them to travel to their destinations, obtain food and treatment, and secure their commercial trips, in the wake of the cessation of transportation to and from the east of the country, due to... The absence of insurance provided by the joint force of armed struggle movements in Darfur.

Source: Al Jazeera