El Obeid — The tea vendors in El Obeid, capital of North Kordofan, are complaining about repeated swoops by the Public Order Police.

Bodour Nasir, head of the tea vendors group at El Obeid Grand Market reported to Radio Dabanga that the thousands of tea vendors in the city, almost all women, are being subjected to various abuses.

"The police is rounding up tea vendors wherever they find them," she said. "The equipment of the women is confiscated, after which they have to pay a fine as well."

She added that the local authorities as well confiscated specially made boxes for the tea vendors to store their equipment, donated by the Kofti company a month ago.

"Most of us are are single mothers. We all trying to cover our daily expenses by selling coffee and tea on the markets and the streets of El Obeid," she said. "The authorities do not provide alternative jobs, or whatever to help us out. So why do they continue to harass us?"