Um Dafuq, November 6 (Darfur24)
Residents of the border town of Um Dafuq, near the frontier with the Central African Republic (CAR), reported that fighters allegedly affiliated with the Russian Wagner group carried out a fresh search and arrest campaign targeting Sudanese herders inside CAR territory.
Al-Tahir Ibrahim, a resident, told Darfur24 that Wagner forces detained dozens of Sudanese youths on Tuesday during the campaign, before releasing them later following interventions by local community leaders and members of a joint committee from both sides of the border.
The arrests come just days after a civil peace conference was held in the Central African town of Um Dafuq between Sudan’s Ta’aisha tribe and neighboring communities in CAR, aimed at easing tensions following recent violence in the border region.
The conference, held under the supervision of the United Nations peacekeeping mission in CAR (MINUSCA), resulted in several conditions being imposed on Sudanese herders entering Central African territory, including the prohibition on carrying weapons, wearing the locally known “kadmoul” head covering, and using motorcycles.
Local sources indicate that these measures are aimed at reducing friction and armed confrontations in the border strip, which has witnessed a series of incidents in recent months.