Sudan PM freezes border fees after passenger backlog at Egypt crossing

March 28, 2026 (KHARTOUM) – Sudanese Prime Minister Kamel Idris on Saturday ordered an immediate freeze on new fees or taxes at border crossings following a public outcry over costs at the Argeen terminal on the Egyptian frontier.

The directive follows a backlog of thousands of travellers at the Argeen crossing, which sparked anger on social media and a temporary strike by bus operators protesting additional levies.

The Prime Minister’s office said in a statement that Idris “directed that no new fees or taxes be added at the crossings,” instructing the finance ministry, customs, and state governments to implement the order immediately.

Idris urged citizens to refuse payment for any unauthorized fees, stating that such levies “impoverish the citizen and do not enrich the state.”

The Sudanese Transport Chamber had approved a unified fare increase ahead of the March 20 Eid al-Fitr holiday to cover rising fuel costs. However, tax authorities reportedly imposed additional charges ranging from 15,500 to 34,000 Sudanese pounds ($26 to $57) per passenger depending on the destination.

The Argeen crossing receives between 1,200 and 1,800 returnees daily.

Tax Chamber Secretary-General Badr al-Tamam Mohamed Saad denied the department had issued any ticket price hikes. He stated that the value-added tax remains fixed at 17%, and any increase in the tax amount collected is a direct result of higher underlying ticket prices set by transport companies.

The head of the Argeen border crossing, Brigadier Mubarak Daoud Suliman, confirmed Saturday that transport operations had returned to normal and that the recent tax fees had been frozen in compliance with the Prime Minister’s decision.

He told the state news agency SUNA that the crossing is seeing a steady rise in returnees following the holiday, with daily arrivals reaching up to 2,000 people.