Communities along the Sudan-Central African Republic border have agreed to reopen cross-border routes to pastoralists and traders following compensation payments to families of people killed in armed clashes in 2025. The agreement was reached in a joint meeting between Sudanese tribal leaders and CAR community representatives in the border town of Um Dafuq, South Darfur State. This meeting aimed to strengthen relations between neighbouring communities and implement resolutions from a peace conference in October 2025.
The meeting focused on improving social relations and ensuring mutual economic benefits from closer cooperation. Pastoralists from the Ta’aisha, Salamat, Beni Halba and Misseriya tribes had complained that access to grazing routes had been restricted since October 2025. This restriction forced their livestock to congregate in limited grazing areas. The agreement seeks to restore cross-border movement, ease pressure on grazing areas and revive commercial activities.
Sheikh Jumaa Abdelkarim, deputy head of the Ta’aisha Native Administration, stated that communities on both sides of the border agreed to strengthen peaceful coexistence. The meeting discussed ways to improve social relations and ensure that both sides benefited from closer cooperation. It also addressed arrangements for reopening the Um Dafuq crossing to pastoralists and commercial activities.
All outstanding blood compensation payments were handed over during the meeting, which was attended by the overall leader of the Ta’aisha, Nazir Mahmoud Abdelrahman Al-Sanousi. The compensation agreements were formally endorsed on behalf of the Ta’aisha by community leaders Hamad Al-Hussein and Badr al-Din Hassan Mohammed. This development is expected to enhance social and economic ties between communities on both sides of the border.
Representing the CAR communities, Dr. Mahmoud Kamtir, head of the peace committee for the Anja area, and Yousuf Abdallah Ramadan, head of the committee for the Birau area, signed the agreements. Communities on the CAR side of the border include the Kara, Sara, Gula, Runga and Yulu, which share the frontier with Sudan’s Ta’aisha, Beni Halba and Salamat tribes.
Relations between the neighbouring communities have periodically been strained by security tensions and armed clashes. This has prompted the closure of cross-border routes and restricted the movement of pastoralists and traders. The latest agreement aims to prevent such incidents in the future by fostering peaceful coexistence and mutual economic benefits.
The agreement is expected to have a positive impact on the livelihoods of communities on both sides of the border. By reopening cross-border routes, pastoralists and traders can access grazing areas and markets, thereby improving their economic well-being. The agreement also underscores the importance of peaceful resolution of conflicts and cooperation between neighbouring communities.
Key points
- Communities along the Sudan-CAR border agree to reopen cross-border routes after compensation payments.
- The agreement aims to strengthen peaceful coexistence and promote mutual economic benefits between neighbouring communities.
- The reopening of the border is expected to ease pressure on grazing areas and revive commercial activities.
