Residents and displaced demand security during agricultural season

Residents and internally displaced persons (IDPs) of Gereida in South Darfur have demanded the governor of the state to extend security measures and protect the agricultural season. The South Darfur Wali (governor) visited the area and promised to increase funding for security services.

Mohamed Moussa told Radio Dabanga that the Wali of the state, Hamid El Tijani, visited the locality and held a general meeting with the various stakeholders. He explained that the attendees from the Native Administration and the youth stressed the need to provide security and remove the new settlers from the land and home areas that originally belonged to the IDPs.

The Executive Director of the locality called on the state to provide sufficient forces, vehicles, and resources in all the border areas of the state in order to establish security, in addition to providing agricultural mechanisms such as tractors and supporting the Gereida Hospital.

The Wali promised to increase the security forces during the agricultural season, providing 30 vehicles. He also promised to maintain Gereida Hospital and donated sums of money to the youth, the civil administration, imams and preachers, and the security services.

Agricultural season

Attacks and intimidation by herding tribes against farmers have been a recurring phenomenon in Sudan, especially during the winter agricultural season. As the rainy season ends in September and the herders need fresh pastures in winter, they let their camels and cattle graze on farmlands that have not yet been harvested. Each year, farmers complain about livestock destroying their crops.

At least 50 farmers were killed and injured by armed herders in November and December 2019, according to a report by Darfuri farmers in South and North Darfur.

Farmers have frequently protested the destruction of their crops, but authorities have failed to put an end to the herders' practices. This is rooted in the fact that herding tribes were often supported by those in power, especially during the dictatorship of Omar Al Bashir.