Natawakulli, October 14 (Darfur24)
The Sudan People’s Liberation Movement–North (SPLM-N), led by Abdelaziz al-Hilu, has reportedly prevented dozens of families, students, and patients from leaving areas under its control in South Kordofan State.
Sources told Darfur24 that civilians trapped in the Um Dolo area are facing severe humanitarian hardship after being barred from traveling to army-controlled areas such as Kartala and Dalami.
According to the sources, around 30 families and 18 young men—mostly university students—have been stranded for weeks. They had fled the cities of Dilling and Kadugli due to siege conditions, food shortages, and lack of medical care, only to find themselves effectively detained in SPLM-N territory with no permission to leave, even for urgent humanitarian needs.
“Only traders and cargo transporters coming from Rahad via Kartala are allowed to enter the markets of Um Dolo and Tanakli, but no civilian is allowed to leave, even during medical emergencies,” one source claimed. “This has worsened the suffering of patients and students who are unable to continue their studies or receive treatment.”
With movement blocked, some families have resorted to a dangerous and lengthy alternative route. They travel from Tanakli south to Yida in South Sudan—a journey of about one week. A single ticket from Tanakli to Yida costs around 100,000 Sudanese pounds. From Yida, the journey continues to Al-Liri and then Abu Jibeha, taking another week and costing approximately 200,000 pounds per person.
This means a family of five would need nearly two million Sudanese pounds to reach Abu Jibeha using this alternative route. By contrast, direct travel from Tanakli to Kartala via the normal route would cost no more than 50,000 pounds per person and take only five hours.