Am Dafok is a village in the Vakaga prefecture of

Central African Republic The Central African Republic (CAR; ; , RCA; , or , ) is a landlocked country in Central Africa. It is bordered by Chad to the north, Sudan to the northeast, South Sudan to the southeast, the DR Congo to the south, the Republic of th ...

(CAR). The town sits on the CAR side of the

border Borders are usually defined as geographical boundaries, imposed either by features such as oceans and terrain, or by political entities such as governments, sovereign states, federated states, and other subnational entities. Political borders ca ...

with

Sudan Sudan ( or ; ar, السودان, as-Sūdān, officially the Republic of the Sudan ( ar, جمهورية السودان, link=no, Jumhūriyyat as-Sūdān), is a country in Northeast Africa. It shares borders with the Central African Republic t ...

; on the Sudanese side of the border is the state of South Darfur. According to the 2003 census Am Dafok has a population of 2,915.

History

Following the independence of

South Sudan South Sudan (; din, Paguot Thudän), officially the Republic of South Sudan ( din, Paankɔc Cuëny Thudän), is a landlocked country in East Africa. It is bordered by Ethiopia, Sudan, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of th ...

in 2011, the road that passes through Am Dafok became the only remaining CAR–Sudan border crossing. On 14 October 2019 Am Dafok was captured by

Movement of Central African Liberators for Justice Movement may refer to: Common uses * Movement (clockwork), the internal mechanism of a timepiece * Motion, commonly referred to as movement Arts, entertainment, and media Literature * "Movement" (short story), a short story by Nancy Fu ...

(MLCJ). On 16 December it was recaptured by the

Popular Front for the Rebirth of Central African Republic Popular Front for the Rebirth of Central African Republic (FPRC, french: Front populaire pour la renaissance de la Centrafrique) is a rebel group in the Central African Republic which controls areas of the northern part of the country, until 202 ...

(FPRC). On 12 May 2021 armed forces which were deployed before withdrew from Am Dafok after attacks by

Messiria The Messiria (), known also under the name of Misseriya Arabs, are a branch of the Baggara ethnic grouping of Arab tribes.Adam, Biraima M. 2012. Baggara of Sudan: Culture and Environment, Amazon online Books''Baggara of Sudan: Culture and Enviro ...

Arabs.

Conflict

In Vakaga Prefecture, cross-border tensions persisted. Armed Misseriya elements continued illegal taxation in Am Dafok, including on 3 February, when a humanitarian convoy was attacked. Misseriya's growing control was revealed by a MINUSCA field mission. Close to the Sudanese border On April 16, armed Misseriya elements attacked a national security facility. Defense forces patrol in Am-Sissia, killing three people and injuring four others. On May 12, soldiers from the national defense forces stationed in Am Dafok left for Birao. As a result of persistent threats from armed elements In the middle of the night, their convoy was ambushed. Two people were injured in the early evening by presumed armed Misseriya elements near Dongore.

Geography

The small settlement is located within the border of the African Grassland and the

Sahara Desert , photo = Sahara real color.jpg , photo_caption = The Sahara taken by Apollo 17 astronauts, 1972 , map = , map_image = , location = , country = , country1 = , ...

and is in a Sub-Tropic zone of the continent. Vakaga (Central African Republic)

References

Populated places in Vakaga Central African Republic–Sudan border crossings {{CentralAfricanRepublic-geo-stub