Argeen crossing crisis resolved as bus fares drop and transit resumes

May 30, Argeen  — The congestion crisis at the Argeen border crossing between Sudan and Egypt has been fully resolved since Tuesday, with bus fares falling and dozens of vehicles now available for returning travellers, the crossing’s director announced on Saturday.

Brigadier Mubarak Daoud, director of the Argeen crossing and supervisor of border crossings, said the situation returned to normal following the arrival of buses dispatched on the orders of Sovereignty Council Chairman and Commander-in-Chief General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the deployment of a large number of additional buses mobilised by the Governor of Northern State.

He added that two initiatives by the Customs authority and the Zakat Office in Halfa locality also provided buses to transport stranded passengers.

Daoud said the crossing is now receiving between 130 and 150 people daily during the Eid period, with sufficient buses available to transport returnees from Egypt to various states across Sudan. The fare has dropped to 150,000 Sudanese pounds, down from 240,000 pounds at the height of the crisis, and approximately 30 buses are currently waiting at the crossing.

The crossing had experienced severe overcrowding in the days before Eid al-Adha, as large numbers of Sudanese returned from Egypt. Three people died as a result of heatstroke, overcrowding, and the absence of timely medical care. Travellers also complained that some transport companies had failed to honour their pre-paid tickets from Argeen and instead refunded fares while raising prices by more than 50%.

The crossing director said he expects the number of returnees to increase after the tenth day of Eid al-Adha, and expressed confidence that transport capacity would be sufficient to absorb the anticipated flow.