Sudanese Border Crossings Supervisor: Qustul Reopens, Closure Not Ordered by Egypt or Sudan

Cairo – Sudan Horizon – Sabah Musa

Brigadier General Dr. Mubarak Dawoud, director of the Argeen border crossing and supervisor of Sudanese border crossings, said he was assigned on Thursday by Lieutenant General Yasser Mohammed Osman, head of the Border Crossings and Ports Authority, to address the closure of the Qustul-Ashkeet road and reopen it to cross-border traffic.

In an exclusive statement to Sudan Horizon, Dawoud explained that Thursday’s closure of the Qustul crossing was not ordered by either the Sudanese or Egyptian side. He noted that the Egyptian director of the Qustul crossing had not officially notified the Sudanese side of any Egyptian decision to close the crossing.

He added that the road was closed following a protest by citizens who believe they were adversely affected by the decision to ban personal imports. The protesters were contacted and briefed on the strategic importance of the Qustul-Ashkeet road, alongside the Argeen-Argeen route, describing both as vital arteries for Sudan, particularly amid the ongoing war. He stressed that closing these routes directly affects the country.

Dawoud said the protesters understood the explanation of the roads’ importance and announced that the route would reopen on Friday. He also confirmed the reopening of the export and import route linking Ashkeet, Wadi Halfa, and Dongola.

Dawoud emphasized that traffic was now moving normally toward the Ashkeet crossing and that both crossings were operating regularly, allowing exports and imports to continue through the border facilities. He said an average of around 3,000 trucks cross through Argeen each month, while approximately 2,000 trucks pass through Qustul monthly, highlighting the importance of both crossings to transportation and commercial exchange.

He noted that the efforts leading to the road’s reopening were coordinated by the security committee in Wadi Halfa, headed by Executive Director Abu Obeida Al-Burhan, following directives from Northern State Governor Lieutenant General Abdul Rahman Abdul Hamid.

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