Sennar, July 10(Darfur 24)
Residents of the city of Sennar are facing bleak conditions, as a result of the siege imposed on it by the Rapid Support Forces after the latter’s expansion in cities and villages in the south of the state since the fall of its capital, Sinja, on June 29.
Sinar, 70 km north of Sinja, has received thousands of displaced people IDPs since the outbreak of war, before the numbers doubled after the fall of the Jazira state last December.
“Darfur 24” monitored an unprecedented rise in the prices of some food commodities in the city’s markets, whose situation has become similar to the besieged city of El Fasher, with extreme difficulty in leaving the city to any destination due to security and military complications on the roads.
The prices of main commodities in markets and small shops witnessed a remarkable shift, as the price of a bag of onions rose from 35 to 150, and a bag of flour from 25,000 to 60,000, while the price of a bag of sugar reached 95,000 instead of 90.
The price of edible oils rose from 55 to 80 thousand, and lentil and rice commodities witnessed a similar increase, as prices increased from 50 to 60 and 65 thousand.
The price of a bag of corn flour rose from 56 to 126, amid chaos in prices.
Darfur 24 reports that the security authorities have prevented the sale of large quantities of flour and sugar in retail stores in an effort to control and monitor prices.
Sennar markets received main commodities such as flour, dry baked goods, and pasta from mills and transport factories via the Jabal Muya road, while the rest of the goods were received from Gedaref.
Since the fall of Sinja, the markets have not received any new goods, according to what a trader in the Sinar market reported, which paves the way for successive increases in the prices of the remaining goods in the city’s markets and scarcity if the roads do not witness any flow of traffic.
Those wishing to flee the city of Sennar do not find safe ways to exit to the east through the Doba Bridge, which the Rapid Support Forces exchange control with the army, or to the west after the Rapid Support took control of the Jabal Muya area, which connects Sennar to the states of White Nile and Gezira.
The majority of those who have left the city since the fall of Sinar via the Bandar Bridge have been subjected to widespread looting, and bus and coach owners refuse to leave Sinnar due to the lack of insurance on the travel streets, in addition to the scarcity of fuel.
Medical services in the city are witnessing fluctuation, either due to the displacement of medical personnel or partial closure in anticipation of any looting operations if the clashes move to the city.
Electricity and water services were cut off throughout the state, while communications networks operated partially within the city of Sennar, and the price of a barrel of water in Sennar reached 7,5008 – 11,000.
People there are forced to charge their phones in stores and bakeries that have electricity generators.