Security forces in El Geneina, the capital of West Darfur, fired live rounds on Wednesday after a reconciliation session collapsed during a dispute linked to a major financial fraud case involving the director of a local trading company.
The company manager is accused of defrauding dozens of merchants of large sums before fleeing the country. He was later detained in a neighbouring state and transferred back to El Geneina.
According to sources, RSF intelligence units interrogated the suspect extensively before handing him over to the Federal Police to prepare for trial and to recover the merchants’ funds.
A local community initiative led by traditional authorities attempted to broker a settlement between the traders and the company manager, who has since declared bankruptcy. But mediation efforts broke down, tensions escalated, and gunfire erupted, prompting security forces to intervene and restore calm.
Darfur24 previously reported in July that the manager of “Al-Nadhir for Multi-Activities” had disappeared after becoming entangled in large-scale currency speculation and borrowing activities worth more than 20 trillion Sudanese pounds. Two of his assistants were arrested at the time.
Merchants, including traders from neighbouring Chad have filed several complaints demanding the return of funds invested in speculative deals with the company.
Al-Nadhir had recently risen in prominence in El Geneina, running humanitarian and cultural projects that drew participation from state and security officials. This visibility helped build trust among local business actors.
The scandal has fuelled widespread debate in the city over the company’s origins, those behind its operations, and the roles played by officials and institutions in enabling its activities.
