Al-Ubaidiyah, September 20 (Darfur24)
Local sources reported mid-week clashes in the car wash area of Al-Ubaidiyah, River Nile State, between members of the Joint Forces and mobilized individuals, which escalated into an exchange of gunfire.
The incident began after Abdel Rahman Abdullah, head of the local administrative committee, instructed truck owners not to wash mining vehicles by the river due to chemical residues and mining waste. Washing vehicles in the Nile had been banned by state authorities to curb health and environmental damage.
According to witnesses, the Joint Forces personnel opposed Abdel Rahman’s directive and told vehicle owners to ignore it, leading to a heated argument. Gunfire was later exchanged, though no casualties were reported.
Sources said Abdullah was briefly detained by the Joint Forces, during which he was subjected to verbal abuse before being released. Residents, however, rejected his release as sufficient and demanded accountability for the shooting. In response, Joint Forces soldiers mobilized around Tawahin market, further raising tensions.
Darfur24’s follow-up indicates that a Joint Forces commander traveled from Atbara to defuse the crisis. He reportedly met with residents and asked for one week to resolve the matter, amid growing local demands for the expulsion of the Joint Forces from the area.
Talks between community leaders and Joint Forces commanders are ongoing in an effort to contain the situation.