Kabkabiya, September 26 (Darfur24)
Farmers in Kabkabiya, North Darfur State, say livestock have damaged their crops after entering farms amid a shortage of pasture and rain, and some farmers have faced threats from armed herders.
Ahmed Al-Tayeb, a Native Administration leader in North Darfur, told Darfur24 that livestock had entered cultivated fields on dozens of farms in the Bari Valley and in areas north and south of Kabkabiya.
He said some herders had threatened to shoot anyone who attempted to prevent their livestock from entering farms.
Al-Tayeb attributed the growing tensions to scarce rainfall and pasture, as well as insecurity that has forced farmers to concentrate cultivation on areas close to the city. He said some herders were deliberately driving livestock into cultivated fields despite agreements reached at local reconciliation conferences.
He added that more than 13 people were killed or injured in conflicts linked to the agricultural season last year, warning that similar incidents could increase this season if security measures are not taken.
Al-Tayeb called on the coalition government to deploy a special force to protect farmers and herders and prevent further clashes.
A Kabkabiya farmer told Darfur24 that many farmers had chosen fields close to the city because they feared attacks on more distant farms. She said most farmers had planted millet, sorghum and groundnuts mainly for household consumption, with many cultivating plots of no more than two acres.
She also warned that poor rainfall could further undermine the agricultural season.
Darfur24 was unable to obtain comment from local authorities on the reported farm damage or allegations that authorities had failed to intervene.
Farmer-herder conflicts occur regularly across Darfur and parts of Kordofan, sometimes resulting in deaths and injuries and escalating into wider communal violence.