Four farmers slain by herders in North Darfur

Militant herders killed four farmers and wounded several other people in separate incidents in North Darfur this weekend. Three farmers were killed in Shangil Tobaya on Friday. In Kabkabiya locality, a mother was shot dead when she tried to prevent the herders from letting their cattle graze on their farm on Saturday. Her son survived the attack. A relative of one of the dead in Shangil Tobaya, south of El Fasher, told Radio Dabanga that herders, “armed by the government”, opened fire and killed three farmers on the spot on Friday. Among the dead are a woman. Three other people were wounded. “The armed herders prevented us from retrieving their bodies for nine hours. Only after they left, we could take them with us.” The relative added that the Sudanese army stationed in the area did not act to help them, moved to rescue the wounded, or persecuted the offenders. Armed herders in KabkabiyaA witness reported that herders also let their cattle graze by force of arms on farmlands in Um Laota, 4 km north of Kabkabiya town. The displaced Aisha Harun Arja tried to stop them from doing so, but was killed on the spot when the gunmen opened fire on her. They also shot her son Mohamed Taher Housh, a student at the secondary school. The witness said that he was brought to the Kabkabiya hospital in a critical condition and out of consciousness. In another incident in Kabkabiya on Saturday, militant herders wounded Mohamed Hamid, a student in primary school, the witness added. He did not have further details about this last incident. File photo: Armed men on horses and camels in Darfur (archive) Related: Livestock destroyed harvest in Kutum, North Darfur farmers report (9 November 2014)