Bilel / Nyala, April 08 (Darfur24)
Armed men kidnapped a trader in Bilel locality east of Nyala, while separate highway robberies targeted passengers on key roads in South Darfur, underscoring a worsening security situation across the state.
On Monday evening, gunmen abducted a trader identified as Imad Yahya Hamed after luring him into a four-wheel drive vehicle in Bilel locality. A resident told Darfur24 that the armed group arrived at the trader’s workplace around 4 p.m., before approaching him under the pretext that a commander wanted to meet him.
The source said the assailants later restrained Hamed, covered his face, and forced him into the vehicle before driving toward Nyala.
The incident comes amid a rise in kidnappings targeting traders in Bilel locality, where several cases have been reported in recent months, often ending with the victims’ release after ransom payments. Residents said similar tactics were used in previous incidents, including the abduction of trader Walid Amin in Nyala.
In a separate incident on Sunday evening, armed men intercepted passenger vehicles traveling along the road linking Nyala to Sinqo town in Al-Radoum locality, looting belongings and assaulting travelers.
Residents said the attack occurred between the areas of Damso and Qurbah, where gunmen stopped vehicles en route to Sinqo, about 286 kilometers south of Nyala. Witnesses reported that passengers were beaten with batons and robbed of their possessions.
Sources indicated that the attackers may have been reacting to the looting of livestock in the Damso area, which heightened tensions and led to retaliatory acts against passing vehicles.
Travel routes across South Darfur have seen a noticeable increase in armed robberies and violent incidents in recent weeks. Last week, a traveler was killed after gunmen opened fire on a passenger vehicle along the Nyala–Al-Daein road.
The series of incidents reflects a broader deterioration in security conditions in South Darfur, particularly in and around Nyala, where killings, kidnappings, and looting have intensified in recent months.