Two farmers killed in North Darfur

An armed herder shot dead two farmers in Saraf Umra locality in North Darfur on Sunday.

The farmers tried to force cattle off their farmlands when one of the cattle herders shot at them. Two were killed on the spot, while two others were seriously injured.

The wounded were taken to El Geneina for treatment.

In July, MPs appealed to the farmers and herders in Darfur to avoid frictions and tensions during the planting and harvesting seasons. Herders should not allow their cattle onto the agricultural lands before the harvest is completed, while farmers should allow herders to do so after the harvest.

For Sudanese farmers, the harvest starts in October or November, after Sudan’s rainy season during the summer months. In recent years, such as in November 2014, many farmers in Darfur reported and complained about herders who let their livestock graze too early on the lands.