Tawila, September 12 (Darfur24)
Displaced people in Tawila, North Darfur State, said on Saturday that intelligence officers affiliated with the Sudan Liberation Movement led by Abdul Wahid Mohamed Nour had arrested several people involved in bank transfers, worsening a severe cash shortage in displacement sites.
The arrests have further complicated access to cash, as displaced communities have faced a shortage of banknotes in recent days, with fees for bank transfers reportedly rising to 25% in exchange for withdrawing cash.
Displaced people told Darfur24 that the movement’s intelligence service had arrested several owners of financial agencies and money exchanges in Tawila.
They said some of those arrested remained in detention, restricting the ability of other financial and money-transfer agents to operate in local markets.
A source in the Chamber of Commerce affiliated with the Civil Authority in Tawila confirmed that arrests had taken place, but described them as precautionary and said the detainees were expected to be released.
The source also said the civilian authority was considering setting a fixed commission for bank transfers in areas controlled by the movement in Tawila and Jebel Marra.
Displaced people previously told Darfur24 that they were struggling to obtain cash in Tawila and that high transfer fees had worsened their situation. Many rely on money sent by relatives, as well as limited cash assistance, to meet their daily needs.
Tawila is one of the main destinations for displaced people in Darfur and currently hosts an estimated 707,000 displaced people, most of whom fled El Fasher.