Misseriya, Dinka Ngok agree on grazing activities in Abyei

A tribal committee in the Abyei, the contested area between Sudan and South Sudan, has temporarily prohibited its herders from crossing with their cattle to other tribal areas.

The Misseriya committee in Abyei has issued the decree that prohibits herders from the Misseriya tribe from crossing with their cows to areas of the Dinka Ngok before the start of the pastoral paths conference.

Omda Najmeldin, the head of the joint court and head of the Misseriya native administration, told Radio Dabanga that his tribe plans to pay ‘blood money’ to the Dinka Ngok community before the end of December.

“The decision to prevent the passage of Misseriya herders will maintain the safety of the members of both Dinka and Misseriya tribes.”

Last week, the Dinka Ngok peace committee announced that it will also launch a process of compensating for cattle by paying money to the Misseriya community.

Abyei

Abyei is the traditional homeland of the Ngok Dinka, who have with strong ties with the South Sudanese Dinka tribe. Herders of the Misseriya, a northern Arab tribe, traverse Abyei and other North-South border areas with their cattle in search of water and pasture in the dry season and to trade goods.

The region witnessed a significant upsurge in cases of cattle rustling, hijacks, and other robberies earlier this year. There is no government or police force in the area and a UN peacekeeping mission, the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA), is entrusted with overseeing demilitarisation and maintaining security in the area.