Armed men wearing uniforms resembling those of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have intensified a wave of kidnappings in Nyala, targeting professionals and forcing them to transfer money through the Bankak mobile banking app.
Doctors, traders and other professionals are among those being targeted as the conflict and banking crisis leave many residents heavily dependent on digital payments instead of cash.
Victims say they are taken to undisclosed locations, where kidnappers search their phones and force them to transfer money before releasing them.
Dr. Ali Youssef says he was abducted near a medical clinic, held for three days and robbed of 80,000 Sudanese pounds through a forced transfer.
Another healthcare worker says armed men seized him at a local market, detained him in an unfinished building and coerced him into sending money from his account.
Medical equipment trader Ayman says he endured a similar ordeal, spending four hours in captivity until his captors confirmed the transfer.
Local sources say the kidnappings have surged again as cash shortages across the region make digital banking the primary way for many people to access their money.
The RSF reportedly has begun taking precautions against the kidnappers, including stepping up security measures and pursuing those responsible, after growing complaints from residents about the rise in abductions.
Despite those efforts, residents say fear remains widespread as criminals continue exploiting the conflict and the country’s reliance on digital banking.
