A widespread strike by customs clearance agents, transport operators and traders in Sudan’s northern city of Wadi Halfa has disrupted commercial traffic through the Ashkeet border crossing with Egypt, following mounting opposition to government import restrictions and rising fees.
The industrial action began on Sunday, October 11, when workers from the transportation, customs clearance, loading and unloading sectors launched an open-ended strike and sit-in outside the customs compound.
Local Sudanese media reported that protesters blocked the customs facility and the road leading to the crossing, bringing freight operations to a standstill and leaving trucks lined up along the border route.
According to Radio Dabanga, demonstrators are demanding the immediate reversal of restrictions on imported goods, the restoration of personal imports and a reduction in taxes and road levies they say have severely damaged commercial activity and local livelihoods.
The dispute intensified after authorities withdrew a special exemption previously granted to Wadi Halfa allowing vegetables and fruit to be imported from Egypt.
Under the earlier arrangement, the imported produce could be sold only within Wadi Halfa, an exception intended to meet local needs while protecting agricultural producers elsewhere in Sudan.
The withdrawal of that exemption has become a central grievance among traders and residents who depend on cross-border commerce.
The Ashkeet crossing, also known as Qustul on the Egyptian side, is a major commercial and passenger gateway between Sudan and Egypt, serving traders, transport companies and Sudanese citizens travelling between the two countries.
In a separate development on Monday, Sudanese media reported that Major General al-Fatih Hassan Dahab had been appointed director of the Ashkeet border crossing.
The appointment comes as the facility faces growing pressure over customs procedures, border congestion and the movement of commercial goods and passengers.
However, it remains unclear whether the appointment is connected to the strike or whether negotiations have produced an agreement to restore normal operations.
