Nyala, November 17 (Darfur24)
Humanitarian workers in Nyala, South Darfur, say the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) are detaining dozens of aid trucks arriving in the city and demanding the payment of customs and administrative fees before allowing them to proceed to their destinations.
A relief worker, who requested anonymity for security reasons, told Darfur24 that the Sudanese Relief and Humanitarian Operations Agency, established by the RSF, along with the group’s civilian administration, is imposing fees ranging from 5 million to 10 million Sudanese pounds on each truck. Drivers are forced to park their vehicles until the payments are made.
According to the source, more than 40 trucks are held every month in the Al-Hilal Club stadium area in the Al-Imtidad neighborhood, east of Nyala’s main market. Many of these trucks belong to international organizations and UN agencies and have remained stranded for months.
A truck driver who left Nyala for Northern State last month told Darfur24 that he and 18 other trucks delivered supplies for an international organization but were redirected from the market to the Al-Hilal area after authorities imposed a 10-million-pound fee per truck.
He said he was forced to stay in Nyala for a month before being instructed to hand over the supplies to the Sudanese Relief and Humanitarian Operations Agency, which stored them in the airport.
A senior official with one of the humanitarian organizations operating in Nyala confirmed that the fees have no legal basis and are severely obstructing aid delivery across Darfur.
He added that many commercial truck owners now refuse to transport humanitarian cargo due to the costs of numerous RSF checkpoints and the additional fees imposed by local authorities.
He revealed that over 50 trucks carrying relief supplies have been stuck in the Al-Hilal Club square for more than three months, with no signs of a solution.
An official within Nyala’s civil administration acknowledged the presence of the stranded trucks, attributing the situation to “administrative procedures, inspections, and fees.” He said the Sudanese Relief and Humanitarian Operations Agency oversees the procedures, while the state Ministry of Finance collects the fees through its administrative staff in Nyala.
Al-Ghali Ikzem, head of the Sudanese Relief and Humanitarian Operations Agency in South Darfur, declined to comment when contacted by Darfur24.
The RSF has controlled South Darfur since October 2023, after months of clashes with the Sudanese army. Last year, the group established the Sudanese Relief and Humanitarian Operations Agency to replace the Humanitarian Aid Commission and take over relief coordination with local and international organizations.