Darfur market prices plummet in wake of stock thefts

A man has been killed and a woman injured in a raid by militiamen on a house in Kabkabiya, North Darfur. Massive livestock thefts over the past few weeks have resulted in dramatic price falls in the city’s market.

A witness told Dabanga that on Monday, about eight militiaman on motorcycles stormed the house of Roda Tageli in the Khor Jim district of south Kabkabiya and began to beat her. When her relative Zakaria Arbab tried to defend her, they shot him dead. They then stole her money, belongings and all the contents in her house.

Livestock

Several witnesses from Kabkabiya confirmed the arrival at Kabkabiya of more than 15,000 camels, cows, sheep, and goats stolen from Kutum, Um Baru and Kornoi localities. They were gathered at Beni Mansour, 3km north of the city on Monday and Tuesday.

A witnesses added that on Tuesday the militia leaders who participated in the attacks and pillaging began dividing the stolen livestock – about 8,000 cows, 10,000 goats and sheep, and 5,000 camels – among themselves.

The over-supply of thousands of stolen livestock in Kabkabiya’s local market over the past few weeks has resulted in a dramatic drop in livestock prices. The price of a cow dropped from SDG 4,000 to SDG 2,000, a sheep from SDG 700 to SDG 400, and a goat from SDG 700 to SDG 300.