Port Sudan , July 8(Darfur 24)

The governor of South Darfur, Bashir Mursal Hasballah, has stopped collecting fees from miners in the mining areas in South Darfur and dissolved the Social Responsibility Committee in the mining areas.

South Darfur state is under the control of the Rapid Support Forces, while Mersal administers the state from the city of Port Sudan.

Mersal issued a decision, which was obtained by “Darfur”, according to which he stopped “all revenues collected from miners in mining areas, including in-kind represented by stone.”

The governor-designate dissolved the Social Responsibility Committee and its accompanying committees in Al-Radom locality.

Mersal justified issuing the decision due to the security situation in the state, the Rapid Support Forces’ control over the state, especially the gold mining areas, and the dissolution of the committee after some leaders of the Native Administration sided with the Rapid Support and left the social responsibility program.

Most of the mining areas in South Darfur are located in Al-Radom locality, 416 km south of Nyala, the state capital, adjacent to South Sudan.

A number of companies operate in gold mining, including Al-Junaid Company, owned by the Rapid Support Forces.

Among the most prominent gold mining areas are the Hafrat al-Nahas mine, Dharaba, Aghbash, Jumana, Qumbilah, Tomb of David, Nawara, and Thu’aylib.”