Al-Tina, November 18 (Darfur24)
The joint force stationed in Abu Qumra, North Darfur, has halted commercial trucks from crossing into areas held by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), according to sources in the border town of Al-Tina.
The sources told Darfur24 that the joint force blocked trucks carrying goods from passing through to Sarf Umra, Kabkabiya, and Kutum, towns now under full RSF control following the fall of El Fasher on October 26.
A military source in the Sudanese army said three large trucks loaded with flour, sugar, soap, and other essential goods had been cleared to travel after traders obtained permits from the locality, as well as approval from military intelligence and the joint force’s intelligence. The trucks were en route to Sarf Umra, about 200 kilometers west of El Fasher.
However, the trucks were stopped upon arrival in Abu Qumra, an area controlled by the Sudanese army and its allied joint forces. Drivers were told they could not proceed because no supplies were allowed to enter RSF-held areas.
The trucks were subsequently forced to return to Al-Tina, where the goods were unloaded into local shops. Commercial activity in Al-Tina had largely stopped since early November due to heightened security tensions and reports of a possible attack on the town.
He added that the joint force blocking the trucks included fighters from the Justice and Equality Movement led by Jibril Ibrahim, the Sudan Liberation Movement under Minni Arko Minawi, the Sudan Liberation Forces Alliance led by Abdullah Yahya, the Sudanese Alliance led by Bukhari, along with units from the Sudanese army and police.
The joint force has controlled Abu Qumra, in Karnoi locality, since retaking it from the RSF last October.