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Fuel Queues Return to Syrian Cities

American soldiers stand near military trucks, at al-Omar oil field in Deir Ezzor, Syria March 23, 2019. REUTERS/Rodi Said/File Photo
American soldiers stand near military trucks, at al-Omar oil field in Deir Ezzor, Syria March 23, 2019. REUTERS/Rodi Said/File Photo
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Fuel Queues Return to Syrian Cities

American soldiers stand near military trucks, at al-Omar oil field in Deir Ezzor, Syria March 23, 2019. REUTERS/Rodi Said/File Photo
American soldiers stand near military trucks, at al-Omar oil field in Deir Ezzor, Syria March 23, 2019. REUTERS/Rodi Said/File Photo

Before the severe gasoline crisis that hit Syria in the last quarter of 2020 completely recedes, the Ministry of Oil announced a delay in the arrival of oil derivatives supplies, putting residents at new risk of shortage.

Blaming the “US sanctions and blockade” for the crisis, the ministry said in a statement on Sunday, that it “temporarily reduced the quantities of gasoline distributed to the provinces by 17 percent and the quantities of diesel by 24 percent in order to manage the available stock.

Observers, however, believe said that the direct cause of the renewal of the gasoline and diesel crisis was the increase of ISIS attacks in the Syrian Badia region, the blocking of the Damascus Deir Ezzor road, and the attack on the fuel convoys of the Katerji Company, which supplies Syrian crude oil to the regime’s areas from regions controlled by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in the east of the country, where more than 80 percent of the Syrian oil and gas sources are concentrated.

For months, the country has been suffering from a severe transport crisis due to the lack of allocated quantities of diesel at the subsidized price for domestic transport vehicles and the high prices of gasoline for taxis.

The Ministry of Oil, which anticipated the return of long queues in front of gas stations, noted that its measures to reduce the quantities of gasoline distributed to the governorates would continue until the arrival of new supplies.

According to data published by British Petroleum, oil production in Syria, which reached 406,000 barrels in 2008, decreased to less than 24,000 barrels in 2018.

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Kabbashi: Sudan War Nearing End, Arms Proliferation Poses Major Threat

Shams al-Din Kabbashi, a member of Sudan’s Sovereign Council and deputy commander of the army, said his government has no objection to delivering aid to other states, provided guarantees are in place (Sudan News Agency)
Shams al-Din Kabbashi, a member of Sudan’s Sovereign Council and deputy commander of the army, said his government has no objection to delivering aid to other states, provided guarantees are in place (Sudan News Agency)
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Kabbashi: Sudan War Nearing End, Arms Proliferation Poses Major Threat

Shams al-Din Kabbashi, a member of Sudan’s Sovereign Council and deputy commander of the army, said his government has no objection to delivering aid to other states, provided guarantees are in place (Sudan News Agency)
Shams al-Din Kabbashi, a member of Sudan’s Sovereign Council and deputy commander of the army, said his government has no objection to delivering aid to other states, provided guarantees are in place (Sudan News Agency)

The war in Sudan is nearing its end, a top military official said on Saturday, warning that the widespread availability of weapons could pose one of the biggest threats to the country’s stability in the post-war period.
Shams al-Din Kabbashi, a member of Sudan’s Sovereign Council and deputy commander of the army, told state governors in the temporary capital of Port Sudan that arms proliferation is a “major danger awaiting the state.”
“The areas that have been retaken must be handed over to the police for administration,” Kabbashi said, stressing that civilian policing, not military control, should take over in recaptured territories.
He also pointed to the need to redeploy troops currently stationed at checkpoints and security outposts in liberated regions. “We need these forces on other frontlines,” he said.
Kabbashi described the rise in hate speech triggered by the conflict as “unacceptable” and warned that Sudan would face deep social challenges once the fighting stops.
According to Kabbashi, the Sudanese armed forces are in a strong position after initial setbacks at the start of the war, as the military seeks to shift focus to restoring internal security and supporting civil governance in liberated areas.
“The situation of the armed forces and supporting units is more than good,” said Kabbashi. “We were in a bad place at the beginning of the war — now we are more than fine.”
Kabbashi added that army chief General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan is highly focused on ensuring public safety across the country, calling security “a top priority, ahead of all other services.”
He warned, however, that Sudan faces deeper challenges beyond the battlefield. “The plot against Sudan is bigger than the militia we’re fighting — they are only the front,” Kabbashi said, referring to the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) without naming them directly.
He pointed to rising crime, widespread weapons, and looting as major security threats that emerged during the war, saying state authorities would have a significant role to play in restoring order.
Kabbashi urged state governors to back police forces in their efforts to maintain law and order, emphasizing that police support is “urgently needed” during the current transitional phase.