Zalingei, October 15 (Darfur24)
Farmers and native administration leaders in Central Darfur State have reported widespread attacks on farmland in the areas of Bindisi, Mukjar, Garsila, and north and east of Zalingei by armed herders, just weeks before the harvest season begins.
Adam Abdel Rahman, a farmer in Zalingei, told Darfur 24 that dozens of farmers were forced to abandon their land after herders brought large numbers of camels and cattle onto cultivated fields, ignoring repeated pleas to stop.
He said hundreds of acres of farmland in northern Zalingei are now unfit for harvest due to the destruction caused by the livestock.
Batoul Ismail, a resident of Mukjar, added that herders have been bringing their animals into local farms since last September. She said local leaders tried to contact the commander of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Central Darfur, Mohamed Adam Al-Banjos, to discuss the situation, but he has not responded.
Batoul said millet, watermelon, and peanut crops were among the most affected, and claimed that camel herders threatened residents with death and assaulted several women last week.
Suleiman Ahmed Hassan, a sheikh in the Native Administration of Central Darfur, said they had received numerous complaints from farmers, which were submitted to the head of the Civil Administration, Youssef Abdel Karim, demanding the formation of a security force to protect the agricultural season.
He explained that herders had previously agreed to begin the seasonal livestock movement, known locally as the “early shot,” in November, but attacks began as early as September, affecting Bindisi, Garsila, Mukjar, and areas east and north of Zalingei.
Hassan added that the herders are armed, refuse to recognize farmers’ rights, and appear determined to destroy the farms, which were cultivated this year at high cost—ploughing an acre costs approximately 150,000 Sudanese pounds with a tractor and 80,000 pounds with livestock.
He noted that similar attacks occurred last year, after which the Anti-Negative Phenomena Forces intervened as part of a campaign to protect the harvest.
Every year, during harvest season, conflicts between herders and farmers recur across Darfur, often escalating into tribal clashes that result in deaths and injuries on both sides.