Dinka Malual, Rezigat pastoral communities disagree over grazing period

The Dinka Malual of Northern Bahr El Ghazal state have disagreed with Rezigat of Sudan’s Darfur region over the timeline for the latter to move in with their cows in Aweil North County

The meeting held on Wednesday at Gok-machar in Aweil North County saw the peace committee reject the request of Rezigat to move in their cattle due to fears that animals would destroy crops ahead of the harvesting season.

“We started deliberating on how best the pastoralists could come and stay in Aweil North County in peace, but we pushed the timeline to February since some farmers still have their produce in the farm,” said Majok Deng Akuacdit, the secretary general of the Dinka Malual peace committee.

Deng said the two communities have had long-running disagreements over grazing zones, adding the Arab pastoralists have to cooperate with their hosts the Dinka Malual to avoid conflicts over grazing pastures.

The representative of the Rezigat pastoralists, Abadallah Sadiik said the ongoing war in Sudan has pushed them to request their South Sudanese neighbors to allow them in before the agreed timeline of January.

 “We know that the time is usually at the beginning of the dry season in January, but now since there is war in Sudan we are under pressure to protect our cows,” said Sadiik.

Sadiik said he will return to Darfur to inform his colleagues about the latest developments from the meeting with Dinka Malual peace committee.

The Dinka Malual community signed peace agreement with both the Arab Messiriya and Rezigat pastoral tribes of neighboring Sudan to mitigate conflicts over grazing pastures and water.