Farmers attacked, crops destroyed in Darfur

Two members of the Central Darfur Committee for the Protection of the Agricultural Season and Peaceful Coexistence were shot by herders near Bindisi on Monday. On Tuesday, herders attacked farmers and drove their livestock onto farms in Central and South Darfur. The crops, ready to be harvested, were destroyed.

Speaking to Radio Dabanga, a listener reported that the ‘protection committee’ visited Wadi Kudum, three kilometres east of Bindisi, to tell the herders to take their livestock away from the farms, as the grazing period did not yet begin.

“Suddenly one of the herdsmen opened fire. Abdelrahman Abdallah and Mohamed Ishag Abu Jarra sustained serious bullet wounds, and had to be transferred to Bindisi Hospital for treatment.”

The source said that the incident was reported to the police, “who did not move to persecute the perpetrators”.

Crops destroyed

On Tuesday, militant herders assaulted a number of farmers and released their livestock by force of arms at farmlands in the area of Artala in Central Darfur's Mukjar locality.

“They robbed us of all our money, mobiles, pullovers, and other belongings. They then drove their livestock into the farms, causing huge damage to the crops that were about to be harvested”.

The crops, “particularly the tomatoes”, on farmlands in the area of Tal Kubar, Kubum locality in South Darfur, were also destroyed by livestock on Tuesday.

An affected farmer reported that they lodged a complaint at the nearby police post, “to no avail”. He appealed via Radio Dabanga to the authorities to put an end to the herders’ attacks.

Pastures

Because of the late and less than average rainfall this year, there is less and poorer quality pasture available. As a result, herders increasingly drive their livestock onto cultivated lands.

The livestock is also being migrated towards pastures in the south earlier than usual, the Famine Early Warning Systems (FEWS Net) reported in September.