SUDAN · EGYPT BORDER TRADE
Key Facts
- —What is happening The Egyptian truck drivers’ syndicate announced a halt to all trips into and out of Sudan on Wednesday, 14 October, and a Qustul port order to hold trucks and stop ferries, which surfaced on Thursday, 15 October, is not yet confirmed by Egyptian officials.
- —Why it matters Egypt and Sudan trade through Qustul and Ashkeit, and the pause follows air strikes on Sudanese gold miners near the border on Saturday, 10 October, and the shooting of two Egyptian drivers in Khartoum.
- —The numbers Two Egyptian truck drivers were killed and a third wounded on Monday, 12 October, and the Ashkeit and Arqin crossings on the Sudan side were shut for a third day on Wednesday, 14 October.
- —Who is who The Land and Dry Ports Authority is the Egyptian Transport Ministry body for border ports, the syndicate is the Egyptian truck drivers’ union, and Qustul is Egypt’s port with Ashkeit its Sudanese counterpart.
- —What to watch Watch for a restart date for trucks and ferries, which has not been announced, and for findings of the Sudanese inquiry into the Saturday strikes and the joint probe Egypt is said to have promised.
- —What it means for you US travel advisories rate Sudan Level 4, Do Not Travel, and tell visitors to avoid Egypt’s Sudan border areas for any reason, so Americans should not plan overland trips between the two countries.
Trucks from Egypt have stopped moving into Sudan, after a drivers’ union halt on Wednesday and an unconfirmed port order on Thursday. The pause follows the killing of two Egyptian drivers in Khartoum and days of unrest on the Sudan side of the border.
Trucks to Sudan have stopped moving from Egypt, Radio Dabanga reports, after a drivers’ union halt on Wednesday, 14 October 2026. Sudan Tribune, an independent outlet, reported on Thursday an order stopping trucks and ferries at Egypt’s Qustul port, unconfirmed by Egyptian officials.
The pause follows air strikes on Sudanese gold miners near the border and the shooting of two Egyptian drivers in Khartoum. For US readers it affects trade between Egypt, a long-standing US security partner, and Sudan, which US travel advisories rate Level 4.
What Egypt Is Said to Have Ordered at Qustul
Sudan Tribune says the Qustul port administration ordered trucks heading to the port to gather in the city council garage. It says crossings by ferry were suspended until new instructions are issued.
The outlet cites a letter from Egypt’s General Authority for Land and Dry Ports, which sits under the Transport Ministry. It says the letter, sent to the city council head, lets only buses, private cars, minibuses and travellers cross for now.
Sudan Tribune says trucks are subject to the new directives and that the letter gives no date for resuming truck traffic. It says the measures stay in force until further notice.
The outlet ties the order to security developments on the Sudanese side, especially in Northern State. It also points to the effect on trade through Egypt’s Qustul port and Sudan’s Ashkeit port.
Why Trucks to Sudan Are Stuck at the Border
Radio Dabanga said the Egyptian Truck Drivers Syndicate halted all truck trips into and out of Sudan on Wednesday, 14 October. The syndicate is the union for Egyptian truck drivers, and Radio Dabanga is an independent Sudan news outlet run from the Netherlands.
The syndicate mourned two members killed in Sudan and tied the halt to stability returning and to driver safety. It gave no restart date and said the suspension lasts until further notice.
Separately, the Ashkeit and Arqin crossings in Northern State’s Wadi Halfa were closed for a third day on 14 October. Radio Dabanga said residents are protesting bans on personal imports and on imports of vegetables and fruit.
A general strike by Wadi Halfa’s transport workers, clearing agents, loaders and truck owners was reported on Sunday, 11 October. Radio Dabanga said it shut the customs yard and the Ashkeit crossing, with many trucks queued on the road.
Protesters want the import ban lifted and heavy road fees and taxes reversed, Radio Dabanga said. Authorities had ended Wadi Halfa’s exemption on vegetable and fruit imports from Egypt, saying it protects farming elsewhere in Sudan.
The Khartoum Shooting and What Officials Said
A gunman shot two Egyptian truck drivers dead and wounded a third in Khartoum on Monday, 12 October, Egypt’s Foreign Ministry said. Sudan Tribune places the shooting south of the city, while Radio Dabanga says it happened at a local market.
Egypt’s Foreign Ministry said Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty told the ambassador to contact Sudan’s authorities and arrange the bodies’ return. Spokesman Nader Zaki said Ambassador Yasser Sorour was told the suspect had been arrested, and Khartoum’s governor offered condolences.
Egypt Today, Sudan Tribune and Radio Dabanga all carried the ministry’s account on Monday. They reported the same two deaths and one injury.
The Border Strikes Behind the Tension
Eyewitnesses told Sudan Tribune that air strikes on Saturday, 10 October, hit gold miners near the border and killed about 200. Radio Dabanga reported dozens dead and quoted the rights group Emergency Lawyers at no fewer than 72.
Sudan Tribune’s report does not name who carried out the strikes, while Radio Dabanga calls them reported Egyptian air strikes. Radio Dabanga says Egypt’s army announced on 12 October a third phase of its campaign against illegal gold digging.
Sudan’s army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, who also heads the Sovereignty Council, ordered a fact-finding committee on Monday. Darfur governor Minni Minawi met Egypt’s ambassador in Port Sudan on Wednesday, 14 October, and urged both governments to share information.
Minawi said Egypt expressed regret and promised to reveal the facts through its own committee, working with Sudan. That account comes from Minawi alone, and no Egyptian statement confirming it was found.
What It Means for US Readers
The State Department rates Sudan Level 4, Do Not Travel, and says its Khartoum embassy suspended operations in April 2023. Emergencies can be reported to the US Embassy in Cairo, the advisory says.
Its Egypt advisory is Level 2 and tells travellers not to visit Egypt’s border areas, including the Sudan border, for any reason. It adds that Sudan border travel needs Egyptian official permission, so overland trips between the two countries are not advised.
For policy watchers, the halt comes amid strain between Egypt and Sudan’s army-led government. Sudan has ordered a fact-finding inquiry into the Saturday strikes, and Minawi says Egypt promised its own, but no findings are published.
No US government statement on the truck halt was found, and the sources describe no US company affected. Anyone shipping goods between Egypt and Sudan faces an open-ended pause, because no restart date has been given.
What Is Not Known
No Egyptian ministry, port or governorate statement on the Qustul order was found, and the letter itself has not been published. The account of the order rests on Sudan Tribune alone, in its Arabic and English editions.
It is not clear whether the port order and the syndicate’s halt are one decision or two separate steps. Sudan Tribune cites security developments, while the syndicate cited the killing of its members.
It is also unclear how far the Wadi Halfa protests, which closed Ashkeit before the shooting, affect the pause. Radio Dabanga links those closures to import bans, not to security.
Radio Dabanga cited police sources on a preliminary motive for the shooting, which no authority has confirmed. The toll of the Saturday strikes and the identity of the attackers also remain unconfirmed by any government.
The syndicate’s halt rests on Radio Dabanga alone, and its statement was not found on any other outlet. Trade figures for the first half of 2026 appear in only one report and are left out here.
What Comes Next
No restart date has been given for trucks or ferries at Qustul, and the measures stay in force until further notice. The syndicate’s halt also has no end date.
Watch for an Egyptian ports authority or Transport Ministry statement, a reopening of Ashkeit and Arqin, and findings from the two investigations. The pause is not a closure of the whole border, since Sudan Tribune says buses, cars and travellers may still cross.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Qustul port?
Qustul is an Egyptian port on the Sudan border, and Ashkeit is its Sudanese counterpart. Sudan Tribune says trade moves between the two, and ferries at Qustul are suspended until further notice.
Who stopped the trucks to Sudan?
The Egyptian Truck Drivers Syndicate halted all trips on Wednesday, 14 October, Radio Dabanga says. Sudan Tribune says Egypt’s land ports authority also ordered trucks held at Qustul, which no Egyptian official has yet confirmed.
Can people still cross at Qustul?
Sudan Tribune says buses, private cars, minibuses and individual travellers may still cross for now. Trucks are subject to the new directives, with no restart date.
What happened to the two Egyptian drivers?
A gunman shot two Egyptian truck drivers dead and wounded a third in Khartoum on Monday, 12 October. Egypt’s Foreign Ministry said Sudanese officials told its ambassador the suspect had been arrested.
Does this affect US travellers?
The State Department rates Sudan Level 4, Do Not Travel, and says not to visit Egypt’s Sudan border areas for any reason. The sources describe no direct effect on US companies.
Sources: Sudan Tribune (Arabic), 15 October 2026; Sudan Tribune (English), Qustul port; Sudan Tribune, Egyptian drivers shot, 12 October 2026; Radio Dabanga (Arabic), truck halt, 14 October 2026; Radio Dabanga (Arabic), Wadi Halfa strike, 11 October 2026; Radio Dabanga (Arabic), drivers shot in Khartoum, 12 October 2026; Dabanga (English), Minawi, 15 October 2026; Dabanga (English), Egyptians killed in Khartoum, 13 October 2026; Egypt Today, 12 October 2026; US State Department, Sudan travel advisory; US State Department, Egypt travel advisory (all accessed 16 October 2026). Related Rio Times coverage: Sudan Gold Miners Say Over 200 Died in Air Strikes; Egypt Army Presses Phase 3 of Gold Mining Crackdown.
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief
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