Herders hold vigil in Central Darfur

The Nomads Coordination in Central Darfur organised a vigil in front of the state government offices in Zalingei on Sunday, protesting against recurrent violence against them.

The participants of the vigil handed a memorandum to Central Darfur Governor Adeeb Abdelrahman. They condemned the repeated attacks on nomads, and the hate speech against them, “caused by tribalism, racism, fanaticism, and discrimination”.

The nomads demand an end to “the systematic killing of pastoralists and cattle rustling”, and changes in the arrangements about pastures, herding tracks, and sawani (water wells) far from farms. They seek an activation of the Sawani Committee.

They also call for the arrest for those who attacked the Nierteti sit-in, and compensation for the people killed.

Governor Abdelrahman described the memorandum’s demands as “legitimate”.

The Central Darfur authorities are investigating crimes committed by members of various communities in order to bring them to justice, he said. He emphasised that all people are treated equal in the state.

The governor said that the Committee for Peaceful Coexistence and Conflict Resolution will be activated, and a force will be deployed in Nierteti locality to protect both farmers and herders.

The governor also stated that the director of Nierteti locality (West Jebel Marra) submitted his resignation at the end of September, less than three months after he was appointed, following demands of the Niertiti sit-in.

Governor Abdelrahman said that the director resigned because the violence continued after the Nierteti sit-in was lifted. At least eight people have been killed since then.

He declared that he objects against the slow implementation of security measures, the lack of resources provided to the state, and the continuing lootings, thefts and roadblocks.

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