Organized Crime in Darfur

According to the Interim report of the Panel of Experts established pursuant to resolution 1591 (2005) concerning the Sudan (5.4 Mb! Word doc) organized crime and acts of banditry have now become a source of livelihood for the many groups operating in Darfur and in other neighbouring States. Information received by the Panel indicates that some organized armed groups in Darfur levy taxes or payments on merchants operating between the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya and the Sudan. The payments are made to these groups as protection money. Failure to pay these amounts to loss of their goods and transporting vehicles.