El Fasher, April 29( Darfur 24)
The siege imposed by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur state, has caused a scarcity and rise in the prices of goods and fuel, as they begin to run out of the markets of the city, which houses 800,000 citizens.
The army, the Rapid Support Forces, and the movements and militias allied with them have strengthened their preparedness to fight the bone-breaking battle in El Fasher, amid global concern that the battles there will increase the suffering of the displaced.
A number of merchants told Darfur 24 that the warehouses had run out of sugar, flour, lentils, rice, and pasta by more than 60%, and that it was difficult for the goods to reach the city at the present time because they were confiscated by the Rapid Support Forces.
The wholesaler in the livestock market, Musa Muhammad Ibrahim, confirmed to “Darfur 24” that goods belonging to him were confiscated by the Rapid Support Forces during their deportation from Mellit last week, valued at more than 5 million pounds, without mentioning the reasons.
He said that the goods contain 50 bags of flour weighing 25 kilograms, 20 bags of sugar, and quantities of rice, lentils, and pasta.
Musa informed Darfur 24 that commercial trucks were returning on their way to El Fasher from El Koma, 76 km northeast of El Fasher.
He stated that a number of citizens purchased and stored food and commodities in large quantities, which led to an increase in demand for them and an increase in their prices.
The prices of flour, weighing 25 kilograms, rose from 39,000 pounds to 45,000 pounds, sugar, weighing 50 kilograms, from 103,000 to 120,000 pounds, a packet of pasta from 26,000 to 35, rice, weighing 25 kilograms, from 40,000 to 50,000 pounds, and oil, 36 pounds, from 35,000. One pound to 42 thousand pounds, and lentils weighing 20 kilograms range from 55 thousand pounds to 60 thousand pounds.
Fuel prices in El Fasher city witnessed a rise and scarcity, as a result of which citizens were forced to walk to work.
Fuel merchant Magdi Ibrahim explained to “Darfur 24” that the Rapid Support Forces prevented any quantities of fuel from entering through the “jerkers.” He said that a quantity of it was confiscated at the Mellit Gate, with merchants and vehicle drivers warned against transporting both gasoline and gasoline.
The price of a gallon of gasoline increased from 38,000 pounds to 50,000 pounds, bringing the price of a barrel of gasoline to more than two million pounds, while the price of a gallon of gasoline increased from 30,000 pounds to 40,000 pounds, and the price of a barrel of gasoline reached 1,800 Sudanese pounds.
A number of citizens reported that the prices of conductors on short lines within the city of El Fasher increased from 500 pounds to 700 pounds, and long lines from 1,000 pounds to 1,500 pounds. The price of grinding corn mills also increased from 700 pounds to 1,200 pounds.
The joint force of the armed movements and the Sudanese army in the border triangle linking Sudan, Libya and Egypt, 1,200 km northeast of El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, prevented the movement of trucks loaded with goods and fuel from traveling to the capital of the Darfur region.
The movement of commercial trucks from the city of Al-Dabba in the northern state to North Darfur stopped after the decision to stop shipping permits for the Darfur region.
The movement of commercial trucks from the city of Kosti in the White Nile State via the western Al-Abyad Al-Fasher rescue road was disrupted after the joint force of the armed movements announced their withdrawal from neutrality and siding with the army.