Kufra , July 9(Darfur 24)
Three identical sources from the Libyan city of Kufra, located on the border with Sudan, revealed the reopening of the road between the Libyan city of kufra and the Al-Zurq area in North Darfur.
The road linking Libya and the Al-Zurq area in the desert of North Darfur had been closed after the outbreak of war in April 2023. RSF reopened it after taking control of the border triangle area last month.
The sources confirmed that Libyan smugglers have begun using the road to smuggle goods and merchandise into Sudanese territory, all the way to the Al-Zurq area, where they unload their cargo before transporting it to various areas in Darfur relying on RSF influential figures for help.
An informed source, who preferred to remain anonymous, told Darfur 24 that smugglers have opened a new road from Kufra toward Al-Zarq military base, which is affiliated with the Rapid Support Forces and is located 80 kilometers north of El Fasher. The road follows a southwesterly direction parallel to the border between Sudan and Chad.
Libyan authorities had imposed restrictions on movement from Kufra to the border triangle following popular protests that erupted last April following the abduction of Libyan citizens and the demand for a ransom exceeding 500,000 Libyan dinars.
Another source confirmed the information, explaining that the smugglers are transporting goods including combat vehicle tires, spare parts, mineral water, cigarettes, gasoline, Starlink devices, and short-range communication devices with a range of up to 7 kilometers.
He added, “Smuggling operations are carried out at night, using Tundra and Sequoia vehicles. Smugglers move in large convoys, usually consisting of 10 vehicles, over rough roads, with their vehicle lights off to avoid detection by Libyan authorities.