Herders damaging crops in South Darfur

Farmers complain that they are being forced to abandon their fields

Farmers in north-west of Gereida in South Darfur complained on Friday of shepherds leading their livestock onto their farms and thereby damaging their bean and corn crops. One of the farmers, told Radio Dabanga that entire villages in north and west Gereida were occupied by shepherds, who forced the farmers to abandon their crops. He added that farmers in other surrounding areas were facing the same fate.

There are allegedly about 200 to 300 shepherds set up in and around the area whose activities have led to farmers leaving in despair.

“We would like to appeal to the local authorities or order the pastoralists to leave the region. The nomadic people must go away from our farms here,” the farmer told Radio Dabanga.