Kass, February 26 (Darfur24)
Security tensions flared in Kass locality, South Darfur, this week after elements of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) detained a commercial vehicle driver, and a dispute later erupted over money reported missing from his vehicle.
Three sources told Darfur24 that RSF personnel stopped the driver at a checkpoint in the Hawr Ramla area as part of what was described as a campaign to combat “negative phenomena” and prevent the transport of weapons.
According to the sources, the driver was taken to an RSF detention facility and later released, only to find that his vehicle’s windows had been smashed and that approximately nine million Sudanese pounds kept inside the vehicle were missing.
The sources said a dispute subsequently erupted between the driver, RSF personnel, and members of the traffic police, prompting intervention by the local RSF commander, Abdullah Idris, who promised to resolve the issue but did not attend a scheduled meeting to address the complaint.
Eyewitnesses told Darfur24 that relatives of the driver gathered Tuesday evening outside the commander’s residence demanding the return of the money or the seizure of a vehicle belonging to him. At the same time, relatives of the commander also assembled at the site.
Witnesses said local community leaders intervened to defuse the situation after it nearly escalated into a tribal confrontation.
Local reports indicate that checkpoints along the road linking Nyala, Kass, and Zalingei have recently seen repeated disputes between Rapid Support Forces personnel and commercial drivers.