Protestors in southern Sudan demand protection of farmers

People in Kadugli, capital of South Kordofan, demand that the state government protect farmers during the harvest season.

Residents organised a protest vigil and closed the Delling-Kadugli road for two days, after a farmer was killed north of Kadugli on Thursday.

Participants of the vigil told Radio Dabanga that “this year's agricultural season might fail, because militant herders and militiamen strategically threaten farmers, especially now it is almost time to harvest”.

They say they will only re-open the road when protection of farmers is assured by security forces at the farms and the crossings the herders take with their cattle when they return to the north.

El Obeid

In El Obeid, capital of North Kordofan, members of Resistance Committees active in the western neighbourhoods of the city, staged a vigil in front of the government offices on Saturday, protesting against the rampant insecurity in their districts.

A member of the Resistance Committees Coordination committee told Radio Dabanga that they earlier submitted a memorandum to Governor Khalid Mustafa. “When he did not respond, we decided to stage the vigil, giving the state government time until Monday to respond to our demands,” he said.

Last month, hundreds of young men and women in El Obeid organised a vigil in front of the locality offices as well, protesting against the rampant insecurity in the city.

El Golid

In El Golid in Northern State, the open sit-in organised by the Resistance Committees and the Forces of Freedom and Change entered its fifth day.

The protesters demand the withdrawal of the decree issued by ousted president Al Bashir that allocated land of Merowe and neighbouring El Golid from the state to the Merowe dam management. They also seek a review by the Ministry of Agriculture of the contracts about agricultural lands in El Golid signed with foreign investors.  

The protesters further demand “the restoration of the rights of the true owners of all lands that were manipulated by agents of the former regime”. Corrupt officials must be held accountable.

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