Nyala, November 12 (Darfur24)
Farmers in Mershing locality, north of Nyala in North Darfur State, reported on Wednesday that armed herders had driven their cattle into farmlands before the harvest season.
Mohamed Ahmed, a farmer, told Darfur24 that the herders ignored the designated grazing schedule and brought their livestock into cultivated areas, leading to the destruction of vast tracts of farmland in Wadi Amri, Manawashi, and Abu Hamra.
He added that the agricultural protection forces stationed in the area failed to prevent the herders from encroaching on farms. Ahmed recalled that a farmer was killed in October in Abu Hamra by herders, yet the protection forces, composed of Rapid Support Forces and Federal Police, did not apprehend the perpetrators, citing a lack of personnel.
The recurring conflict between herders and farmers in South Darfur flares up annually due to early grazing and violations of farming boundaries.
Despite pre-season conferences aimed at opening routes and grazing areas and ensuring protection for farmers, the problem remains unresolved.
At the end of October, several farmers were reportedly shot by herders in Abu Hamra after resisting attempts to bring livestock onto their farms.