Citizens and eyewitnesses reported on Saturday that the weekly market in the town of Tabit has become the largest exhibition for looted goods taken from Al-Fashir in North Darfur state.
Tabit, located in the Tala locality about 60 kilometers west of Al-Fashir, is one of the areas under the control of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) since the outbreak of violence in mid-April 2023.
Local residents told Darfur24 that Tabit Market has grown to become the largest in North Darfur, receiving vehicles, electronic devices, alternative energy systems, and tombak crops stolen from Al-Fashir following the RSF’s takeover of the city in late October.
“One resident said Tabit Market has become one of the busiest markets these days due to the influx of looted goods from Al-Fashir,” the report noted.
Another citizen indicated that the RSF stationed in Tabit attempted multiple times to halt the market’s activity but failed due to widespread chaos.
A trader told Darfur24 that merchants purchase the looted goods brought from Al-Fashir by RSF elements before redistributing them to markets in Nyala, Al-Duwayn, Al-Malam, Shangil Tobai, and neighboring Tala.
The trader added that prices for electronics and solar energy systems at Tabit Market are significantly lower than in other markets, attracting merchants and middlemen.
According to the trader, the price of a quintal of tombak in Tabit is 200,000 Sudanese pounds, compared to 400,000 in Tala Market, while a solar panel costs 50,000 instead of 150,000 Sudanese pounds.
Residential neighborhoods in Al-Fashir, particularly Al-Daraja Al-Oula, Abu Shouk, and Al-Hilla, along with government institutions, have witnessed widespread theft following the RSF’s takeover, according to survivor testimonies.
