Nyala, August 01 (Darfur24)
The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have launched a new wave of arrests targeting owners of money transfer centres in Nyala, South Darfur, as authorities intensify efforts against businesses using the Bank of Khartoum’s “Bankak” mobile banking application, residents and traders said on Friday.
The campaign comes as most money transfer centres have suspended operations since early June following similar arrests and amid a sharp increase in commission fees, which have risen to around 25%.
Three owners of money transfer centres, speaking to Darfur24 on condition of anonymity for security reasons, said RSF economic security personnel arrested several operators on Tuesday and Wednesday in Nyala’s Grand Market and Popular Market.
They identified the detainees as Musa Adam, Muhannad Yusuf, and Idris Hassan Jari, adding that they were transferred to Nyala prison, locally known as “Korea” prison.
According to the sources, operators arrested during an earlier campaign in June remain in detention.
The traders said authorities have not introduced any formal regulations governing the operation of money transfer centres, relying instead on repeated arrest campaigns without prior notice.
“The continuous arrests have forced many operators to stop dealing with the public and only serve trusted acquaintances for fear of being detained,” one of the owners said.
The crackdown has further aggravated an already severe cash liquidity crisis in Nyala, where electronic transfers through the Bankak application are increasingly valued differently from cash transactions.
Residents told Darfur24 that cash is often exchanged at a lower rate than digital balances, particularly when purchasing essential goods such as sugar, flour, and other food items.
They said the closure of money transfer centres, particularly in the city’s main markets, has made it increasingly difficult to obtain cash after receiving electronic transfers, and called on the authorities to regulate and legalize the sector rather than continue arrest campaigns.
Authorities in Qureida locality, south of Nyala, had previously imposed an 18 percent commission cap on money transfers before later withdrawing the measure, similar to actions taken in Al-Daein, East Darfur.
Despite efforts by Future Exchange and Financial Services Company to inject additional cash into local markets, residents say the liquidity crisis persists.
The developments come as the prime minister of the coalition government recently announced a series of financial measures, including appointing a governor of the central bank and establishing a currency council, in an effort to stabilize the country’s financial system.