Nyala, December 1 (Darfur24)
Authorities in Al-Salam locality, South Darfur State, have announced new measures to secure the harvest season and prevent livestock encroachment on farms between October 2025 and mid-January 2026.
According to the directive, which Darfur24 has reviewed, fines have been set at two million Sudanese pounds for each camel or cattle enclosure found trespassing on farms, and one million pounds for each enclosure of goats or sheep. The order also imposes a fine of 3 million pounds on anyone who violates the regulations. Implementation has been assigned to the Sharia, Central, and Rural Courts.
South Darfur witnesses annual clashes between herders and farmers as the harvest season approaches, a period locally known as the “early shot,” when herders prematurely release livestock onto farmlands before harvesting is complete.
“The shot” refers to the official end of the harvest season, when crop remnants are made available for livestock grazing. However, farmers say recurring violations, with herders sending animals into fields too early, remain a primary cause of friction and sometimes deadly confrontations.
Despite pre-season conferences aimed at organizing grazing routes and water access points, and the deployment of joint forces to protect farms, authorities have struggled to curb these incidents in recent years.