Central Darfuri herdsmen extort thousands from farmers

A gunman threatened to kill a farmer on Sunday in Zalingei locality, Central Darfur, unless he paid SDG13,000 as compensation for injuries sustained by the gunmen’s son. Another farmer from the same village was forced pay SDG8,000 to a herder. A relative of the farmer told Radio Dabanga that Ismail Ibrahim Ishag confronted a “government-backed” herdsman who had released his camels and cattle on his farmland near the village of Berenjo in Zalingei locality. Ishag hit the herdsman who sustained injuries to his head. “The result was that Ishag was obliged to pay SDG41,000 ($7,120) as compensation for the harm suffered and the treatment costs. After Ishag had paid the amount, the father of the herdsman came again, requesting an extra amount of SDG13,000 ($2,260) million, to be paid on Sunday (today) or else Ishag would be killed. The relative said that the family and friends of Ishag have begun to collect SDG20 from each household in the village to pay the second compensation amount of SDG13,000. SDG8,000 ‘hidden in blanket’A farmer of the same village reported to Radio Dabanga that a herdsman forced him, under threat of death, to pay SDG8,000 ($1,390). The farmer had bought a blanket from a herdsman for SDG200. When he arrived at his home in Berenja, a relative of the herdsman visited him, claiming that inside the blanket a total of SDG8,000 ($1,340) was hidden. The herdsman threatened to kill the new blanket owner if he would not return the money. The farmer said that he is depending on his family, relatives, and the villagers to help him pay the amount. File photo: A Janjaweed member (Andrew Carter, 2008)