RSF Militia Detains 32 Relief Trucks
North Darfur – The rebel Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia has detained 32 trucks loaded with humanitarian assistance belonging to the World Food Programme (WFP) while they were en route to provide aid to thousands of war-affected families in North Darfur.
Director of Social Welfare and Humanitarian Aid Coordinator of the Darfur Regional Government Abdel-Bagi Mohamed Hamid confirmed that a convoy of 60 trucks entered through Al-Tina border crossing last week, carrying food supplies destined for the localities of Kabkabiya, Al-Sereif, Kutum, Al-Tina, Kornoy, Um Baru and Mellit, as well as the areas of Al-Sayah and Sortony.
He told SUNA that the convoy distributed 16 trucks in Mellit and Al-Sayah before the militia intercepted the remaining 44 trucks in Kutum locality and forcibly took them to El-Fasher. After three days in detention, only 12 trucks were released, while 32 remain detained after large sums of money were imposed as a condition for their release, in conduct amounting to piracy, extortion and blackmail.
Abdel-Bagi noted that the aid was urgently intended for displaced families facing the risk of famine, describing the detention as a full-fledged war crime aimed at starving civilians, using food as a weapon and deliberately obstructing humanitarian operations.