South Darfur bandits raid village shops

Bandits broke into shops and stole money and cattle in a village east of Nyala, South Darfur, on Wednesday. In West Darfur, two women farmers were seriously injured after a beating by herders.

Several villagers contacted Radio Dabanga and reported that bandits, driving in a number of vehicles and others riding camels and horses, attacked Marla village.

They stole the goods from the shops, 85 goats, 24 horses, 90 sacks of groundnuts, and more than 80 mobile phones, the witnesses recounted, as well as contents in houses. Approximately SDG100,000 ($14,900) was robbed of the victims.

On Thursday, a number of women were injured at Saraf Jidad area in West Darfur's Sirba locality in West Darfur, after being beaten by herders. A witness told Radio Dabanga that several herders beat a group of women who were tilling their farms at Saraf Jidad. They seriously injured the two sisters Hawa El Nagi Abdelkarim and Um Bagar El Nagi.

The witness said that the attack on the farmers was explained by the fact that the farmlands now should be used for grazing.

Farmers in North Darfur's Kutum locality have complained of herders who drive camels into their farms, sometimes threatening the farmer by force of arms. The shortage of food in Darfur, driven by drought and displacement, is exacerbated by frequent raids on farms by herders who allow their livestock to graze on farmers’ crops.