Al-Daein, September 07 (Darfur24)
Low rainfall and drying pastures in Darfur have forced herders to alter their traditional migration routes and keep their livestock around agricultural areas in East Darfur, raising fears of renewed tensions between farmers and herders over water and grazing land.
Hamdan Jabrallah, a herder from Bahr al-Arab in southeastern Darfur, told Darfur24 that poor rainfall this season had forced herders to abandon traditional routes and concentrate their livestock in central, southern and western parts of East Darfur.
He said the shift followed the drying of grazing areas in the north and had increased competition for water and pasture.
Hussein Suleiman, another herder who travelled through the eastern migration routes in Al-Daein locality, said drought had prevented nomadic communities from completing their traditional annual journey to grazing areas in the far north of the state.
Several herders warned that the limited availability of pasture in East Darfur could increase friction and strain relations with farming communities.
Farmers in the northern pastoral areas of the state also complained about the growing concentration of livestock in Yassin, Asalaya, Adila and Bahr al-Arab localities, saying it was putting additional pressure on already limited water and grazing resources.
Farmers and herders have called on the state government and relevant authorities to intervene quickly to regulate grazing routes and provide solutions to prevent potential clashes and protect the agricultural and pastoral seasons.
Large areas of Darfur are experiencing below-average rainfall this year, raising concerns about worsening drought and increased competition over natural resources, particularly in the absence of effective mechanisms to regulate livestock movement.