North Darfur herders, farmers sign land and water agreement

Yesterday, the representatives of pastoralists and farmers in the villages of Nimra, Humeida and Sauda in the return areas of Dubo El Omda administrative unit in Tawila and El Waha localities in North Darfur signed a document for settling disputes between farmers and herders over land and water sources in those areas.

Adam Jadeed, Commissioner of Tawila locality, told Radio Dabanga that there has been an ongoing dispute between farmers and herders over water sources in the area.

He said the herders acknowledged that the water wells belong to the farmers and set a period of two months to return them to their original owners.

He pointed out that the two parties agreed to regulate the exploitation of water, in addition to avoiding and resolving frictions.

Agreement

He said the agreement represents a real addition to the efforts to repair the social fabric and peaceful coexistence in the area.

Ibrahim Saadeldin, the chairman of the high committee for the protection of the agricultural season and tracks confirmed the seriousness of the committee and its keenness to resolve and address all the issues that lead to friction between farmers and pastoralists in the two localities. He praised the parties concerned for their understanding of the importance of peaceful co-existence among them and their cooperation in order to remove all the obstacles to the programmes of voluntary return of the displaced to those villages.

The head of the native administration of Tawila locality Ishag Abakar, expressed the residents’ satisfaction with the situation of security, peace and stability witnessed by the locality people, urging the people of Dubo residing at Shangil Tobaya camp to return to their original villages to practice their normal activities.

Violence

Herders opened fire on the farms nearby Sagur village south of Gireida in South Darfur and wounded farmer Hammad Mousa on Monday.

On Monday evening, farmers from the village told Radio Dabanga that about 20 armed men trespassed with a large number of cows the farms nearby the village and when the farmers tried to chase them out, they opened fire on them, wounding displaced Mousa in the chest.

They said he was taken to Gireida hospital after the incident was reported to the Gireida police.