On 26 June, upon an invitation issued by the head native chief of the nomadic Reizegat tribe in Umdawanban village, Omda Abu Noba, UNAMID Sector South Head of Office (HoO) Mr. Imtiaz Hussain led a joint delegation of representatives from OCHA, WFP, IOM and UNICEF to assess the situation in the village located some 80 kilometres south of Nyala, South Darfur.

The Omda provided the delegation with a historical background to the village, which, according to him, was established in 1988, with a population of 22,000, adding that most villagers living here have not been involved in tribal clashes apart from minor incidents.

He also pointed out that the village requires educational and health services, noting that there are no secondary schools for boys or girls and that the only available health facility is in need of rehabilitation. Additionally, the Omda emphasized the necessity for a police station to enforce law and maintain security in the area. He further mentioned the lack of enough water points; the village has only one water facility and villagers have to travel for eight hours to access the nearest borehole.

On his part, Mr. Hussain reaffirmed UNAMID’s commitment to protecting civilians, assisting the provision of humanitarian assistance and building peace across Darfur. Mr. Hussain also spoke about the Mission’s efforts in promoting reconciliations between tribes. “UNAMID and other UN agencies will try their best to support the people in this village,” he said.

The Sector South HoO urged the nomads to work with neighbouring farmers to solve their problems peacefully without resorting to forcible means.

This delegation visit comes a day after Mr. Hussain visited Kass locality in South Darfur where recent clashes between farmers and nomads occurred. According to a representative of the Farmer’s Union, Mr. Adam Abdalla Mohammed Dawalbeit, the conflict started when a group of nomads allowed their cattle to graze inside farms damaging crops worth more than SDG 15, 530. 

Mr. Hussain discussed peaceful ways to solve this problem with representatives of the farmers and promised to raise the issue with the State government.

The Sector South HoO stressed the importance of enforcing the rule of law in the area and implementing traditional conflict resolution mechanisms to solve such disputes. He also met with Mr. Musa Ibrahim, Director, Kass Southern Sector for Farmers and Cattle Herders, to find solutions to the problem via the Peacekeeping and Reconciliation Mechanism where a committee will investigate the issue and assess the volume of damage, following which an appropriate compensation would be decided upon.

Meeting of UNAMID and UN agencies staff members with the local community in Umdawanban, South Darfur. Photo by Mutaz Ahmed Frieha.