Farmer attacked – call for calm during Darfur harvest season

An elderly farmer was beaten by herders in South Darfur on Tuesday. MPs have called on Darfur farmers and herders to ‘avoid tension during the harvest season’.

Militants attacked and beat 70 year-old Mohammed Yunus Sanousi as he tended his farm at Abdos in Gireida locality.

Witnesses told Radio Dabanga that four militants riding horses, camels and donkeys attacked and beat the victim with sticks, injuring him on the head and the right hand.

Witnesses said the attackers told the victim that the land belongs to them; that they have liberated it from the armed movements according to their agreement with the state government, stipulating that whoever wants to till the land must rent it or shall be subjected to abuse.

Sanousi was transferred to Gireida Teaching Hospital.

Call for calm

MPs appealed to the farmers and herders in Darfur to avoid frictions and tensions during the planting and harvesting seasons, by activating the traditional mechanisms and legacies generally accepted among them, so as to guarantee the success of the current agricultural season.

Mohamed Ahmed Minawi Digeish, the MP of Kornoi, El Tina and Um Baru constituency appealed to the farmers and herdsmen of these localities to avoid the tensions that occur between them in the harvest season.

He said that his constituency has formed a committee under his supervision and the membership of other MPs to address and defend the farmers and herdsmen issues to prevent and avoid friction.

He explained that the committee will assess the conditions on the ground in the next few days.

He appealed via Radio Dabanga to the herders and farmers to commit themselves to the grazing tracks until the harvest ends.

Hussein Abdullah Sudan Jameel, the commander of one of the factions that signed peace with the government called on the pastoralists and farmers in north Jebel Marra for peaceful coexistence and tolerance.

Peaceful coexistence

He told Radio Dabanga from the Kawra Mountains of North Darfur that as the faction in control of the area, in collaboration with native administration leaders in Kawra and Jebel Si, they sponsored an agreement of peaceful coexistence between farmers and herders on Friday.

He added that they have opened Kawra market for all the tribes as real start of the implementation of the agreement on the ground.

He called via Radio Dabanga on the herders not to enter into the farms at the moment and wait until after the harvest as stipulated in the agreement between the tribes of the region. He pointed out that “most of the trespassing on the farms is by herders coming from outside the region”.

He added that to the farmers should be committed on their part to allow the herders to enter their cattle to the farms after the harvest is completed.

Protection

Last week El Tijani Abdallah Saleh, the Commissioner of El Fasher, announced the completion of the preparations taken by the state government to secure the agricultural season in North Darfur by bringing special forces to ensure protection and intervene to settle disputes.

The Commissioner said that the state formed a higher committee to secure the agricultural season, headed by deputy governor of North Darfur and the membership of the localities of Darel Salam, Tawila, El Fasher, El Waha and Kutum.

He explained that for the success of the agricultural season in North Darfur, the state government will bring special troops to be ready to intervene in case of any friction and get spread in specific locations.