Local residents said on Friday that the Rapid Support Forces’ economic security unit was continuing a campaign of arrests targeting operators of money transfer centres in Nyala that use Bank of Khartoum’s Bankak mobile banking application.
The arrests come as most transfer centres have remained closed since the campaign began in early June, contributing to a sharp rise in commission fees, which have reached as high as 25 percent.
Three transfer centre operators, who spoke to Darfur24 on condition of anonymity, said RSF economic security personnel detained several operators on Tuesday and Wednesday at Nyala’s Grand Market and Popular Market.
They identified some of those arrested as Musa Adam, Muhannad Youssef and Idris Hassan, saying they had been transferred to Nyala Prison, commonly known locally as Korea Prison.
The operators added that several people detained during an earlier round of arrests in June were still being held at the same prison.
According to the operators, the authorities have not issued any formal regulations governing their activities and have instead carried out repeated raids without prior warning.
They said the crackdown had forced many transfer centre operators to limit their dealings to trusted customers and acquaintances out of fear of arrest.
Nyala is currently facing a severe shortage of cash, leading to the emergence of different prices for purchases made through the Bankak application and those paid for in cash. Cash prices are often lower, particularly for essential goods such as sugar and flour.
Residents told Darfur24 that the authorities’ measures had led to the disappearance or closure of many transfer centres, particularly in local markets, making it increasingly difficult for people to access cash when receiving money transfers.
They called on the relevant authorities to formally regulate and legalise the work of transfer centres rather than continue arresting their operators.
Authorities in Gereida locality, south of Nyala, had previously set transfer commission fees at 18 percent before later withdrawing the decision. A similar measure was also introduced and subsequently cancelled in the city of El Daein.
Despite recent efforts by Al-Mustaqbal Exchange and Financial Services Company to inject cash into local markets, the liquidity crisis has persisted.
The prime minister of the TASIS coalition government has meanwhile announced several currency-related measures, including the appointment of a central bank governor and the establishment of a currency council.
