Herders shoot at commissioner’s car in Central Darfur

On Friday, militiamen fired at the vehicle of the Commissioner of Mukjar locality in Central Darfur. No one was injured.

Speaking to Radio Dabanga, a farmer reported from Mukjar that a team led by Commissioner Ahmed El Tijani Fadlelmawla was on its way to retrieve camels released on farms near the town, when they were attacked by the militiamen who own the camels.

“They intercepted the team’s vehicles, and opened fire on the commissioner’s car. Fortunately, no one was injured.”

The farmer said that the militiamen kidnapped a policeman in Mukjar last week after the commissioner refused to release three of their companions. They were arrested by police members of the search team for driving their livestock onto farms in the locality.

He called on the West Darfur government “to restore security in the area as soon as possible so that we can safely harvest our crops”.

Disputes between herders and farmers occur often this time of the year, as herders begin to graze their livestock on farmlands before the crops are harvested.