RSF ‘Finance Minister’ Arrested on Counterfeit Currency Charges

Local residents and sources said on Sunday that the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia had arrested Ahmed Al-Daw Baraka, the finance minister in the so-called civil administration of South Darfur, on charges related to currency counterfeiting.

Sources told Darfur24 that an RSF force intercepted a truck driven by one of Baraka’s relatives while it was transporting large quantities of counterfeit currency out of Nyala.

According to the sources, the force subsequently raided Baraka’s residence in southern Nyala, where he was arrested. They added that a machine used for printing counterfeit banknotes was found at the premises, and that a foreign national present at the location was also detained.

The development comes amid reports that large quantities of banknotes bearing the signature of Hussein Jangoul, who was appointed central bank governor by the RSF-backed administration, have recently been circulated in Darfur markets.

The circulation of the notes follows a severe liquidity crisis across the Darfur region, where banking services and commercial bank operations have been largely suspended since the outbreak of the war. Money transfer commissions through the Bank of Khartoum have reportedly reached around 20 percent, rising to as much as 25 percent in some areas.