Poor rainfall and drying pastures have forced herders in Sudan’s East Darfur state to keep livestock near farmland, raising fears of clashes over scarce water and grazing land, Darfur24 reported.
Herders say the conditions have disrupted seasonal migration routes, concentrating livestock in areas where farmers and pastoralists already compete for limited resources.
Hamdan Jabrallah, a herder from Bahr al-Arab in the far south of East Darfur, told Darfur24 that weak rains had forced his community to change its usual route and gather livestock in central, southern and western parts of the state.
He said the drying up of northern wet-season grazing grounds had driven the shift, heightening tensions around water sources and pasture.
Hussein Suleiman, another herder travelling along the eastern livestock migration route through El Daein locality, said drought had prevented pastoralists from completing their annual journey to grazing areas in the far north of the state.
Other herders warned that the limited space available for grazing could trigger confrontations with farmers and deepen existing tensions.
Farmers, meanwhile, complained of large concentrations of livestock in Yassin, Assalaya, Adila and Bahr al-Arab localities, putting additional pressure on already scarce pasture and water supplies.
Both groups urged state authorities to intervene quickly, regulate livestock movements and introduce measures to prevent disputes and protect the farming and grazing season.
Large parts of Darfur have received poor rainfall this year, threatening agricultural production and pastoral livelihoods. Without effective arrangements to manage grazing routes, residents fear competition over natural resources could intensify.
