On the Hoof Livestock Trade in Darfur

On the Hoof Livestock Trade in Darfur

On the Hoof Livestock Trade in Darfur Policy Briefing Paper February 2013 This is the first of a series of Policy Briefing Papers which form part of the Environment and Livelihoods component of the UNEP Sudan Integrated Environment Project, funded by UKAid from the UK Department for International Develop- ment (DFID). This paper highlights the impact of conflict on the livestock trade in Darfur and outlines ways in which that trade can be supported in the future, to benefit livelihoods and the economy in Darfur and nationally. It is based on a research report (UNEP, 2012 ‘On the Hoof: Livestock Trade in Darfur’), authored by Margie Buchanan-Smith and Abdul Jabbar Abdulla Fadul, with Abdul Rahman Tahir and Yacob Aklilu, that can be found on the UNEP and Tufts websites. See: http://www.unep.org/sudan or http://sites.tufts.edu/feinstein/2012/on-the-hoof-livestock-trade-in-darfur moved between markets. The importance of livestock The greatly increased risks of The livestock trade in Darfur has been badly impacted by livestock trading resulted in almost a decade of conflict. This briefing paper presents the many traders in Darfur main findings of a research study carried out by the Feinstein switching to commerce in International Center at Tufts University which set out to less risky commodities. Most understand how the livestock trade has been affected since of the large-scale traders 2003, how it has adapted, and to what extent (if at all) it has from Omdurman withdrew recovered. The research for the study was carried out in from the region completely. Darfur and Khartoum over a twelve month period, from Widespread displacement February 2011 to February 2012. and insecurity in rural areas On the Hoof was associated with the Livestock Trade in Darfur Livestock are a key component of most rural livelihoods in collapse of the primary Darfur; the greater Darfur region is one of Sudan’s most market network. The important areas of livestock production. Indeed, livestock are evidence clearly indicates an overall contraction of the Sudan’s third most important export after petroleum and livestock trade within Darfur compared with pre-conflict gold. The findings of this study are therefore relevant at both levels, particularly in terms of volume, right up to 2012. state and federal levels. Finding ways of supporting the livestock trade, now and into the future, will be critical to the Insecurity and conflict are directly associated with a massive recovery of the economy and of livelihoods in Darfur. increase in livestock trading costs. No longer able to use Boosting the export trade of meat and livestock can also be a direct trekking routes, traders from many markets are major source of growth for the national economy. A policy choosing to use longer and more circuitous but safer routes agenda for achieving both is presented in this paper, built to trek their animals out of Darfur. Pre-conflict it took traders upon the study’s findings. 45 to 60 days to trek cattle from El Geneina to Omdurman; during the conflict it could take as long as four months to trek through more secure areas in South Darfur. Traders must also employ armed guards to protect their herds, must now How the conflict has pay fees at numerous checkpoints to ensure safe passage of their animals, and have reduced the number of animals impacted on Darfur’s moving in one herd in order to reduce their exposure to livestock trade, and looting. All of these measures have substantially increased trading costs, from between 100 per cent and 900 per cent in a way forward the case of cattle trekked from El Geneina to Omdurman. (See bottom of page 4 for more information) Early on in the Darfur conflict when there was major looting, livestock became a liability. Not only did this encourage many The single most important way of supporting the households to divest of their livestock holdings, it also caused livestock sector and the livestock trade in Darfur is to bankruptcy of traders if their herds were stolen as they improve security. On the Hoof: Livestock Trade in Darfur Darfur - Livestock trade routes from Saraf Omra MAP CREATED BY OCHA For Cattle For Sheep For Camel EGYPT LIBYA LIBYA LIBYA Northern to Egypt Northern ! ! Northern to Libya Dongla NORTH DARFUR CHAD CHAD CHAD Karnoi Tina NORTH KORDOFAN NORTH DARFUR WEST to UmDurman DARFUR Abu Gamra Al Zawiya Korma Jebel Si Kuma e Idd AlOm Nabag Jebel Moon NORTH DARFUR NORTH KORDOFAN Seraf Omra El Geneina KebkabiyaKaworaOm Sarafaya Ummkeddada Al Fasher Seraf Omra Al Fasher El Geneina Um Sunta Shagra KebkabiyaKawora Shagra Tawilla to UmDurman Tawilla NORTH KORDOFAN June 2012 • June WEST Zalingei Al Nahood Zalingei DARFUR Kutum Zalingei Korolei Kass Korma CENTRAL Nyala WEST Al Zawiya Kuma Nyala DARFUR DARFUR Shagra CENTRAL Seraf Omra Tawilla DARFUR Ed Daein Kawora ON THE HOOF: The Livestock Trade In Darfur Trade The Livestock THE HOOF: ON Kebkabiya Ed Daein SOUTH KORDOFAN SOUTH DARFUR SOUTH KORDOFAN EAST DARFUR SOUTH DARFUR EAST DARFUR CENTRAL DARFUR Abyei Area CAR SOUTH KORDOFAN Abyei Area SOUTH DARFUR EAST DARFUR SOUTH SUDAN SOUTH SUDAN SOUTH SUDAN CAR SOUTH SUDAN CAR Abyei Area CAR SOUTH SUDAN Legend Legend SOUTH SUDAN Legend Before Conflict Before Conflict Before Conflict route to Libya During Conflict During Conflict SOUTHDuring SUDAN Conflict route to Libya Before Conflict route to Egypt During Conflict route to Egypt THE BOUNDARIES AND NAMES SHOWN AND THE DESIGNATIONS USED ON THIS MAP DO NOT IMPLY OFFICIAL ENDORSEMENT OR ACCEPTANCE BY THE UNITED NATIONS. UNITED THE BY ACCEPTANCE OR ENDORSEMENT OFFICIAL IMPLY NOT DO MAP THIS ON USED DESIGNATIONS THE AND SHOWN NAMES AND BOUNDARIES THE Creation date: 11 September 2012 Boundary(CBS,IMWG), Settlement(OCHA). Darfur,Map created livestock by OCHA trade routes from Saraf Omra Cattle in Nyala market The boundaries and names shown and the designations used on this map do not imply official endorsement or acceptance by the United Nations. 35 Final boundary between the Republic of Sudan and the Republic of South Sudan has not yet been determined. Final status of the Abyei area is not yet determined. Not only have trading costs increased, livestock prices have The physical market infrastructure in livestock markets also soared. Traders therefore need larger amounts of capital in more secure locations which are thriving, such as to operate. Yet very few, if any, are accessing formal credit, Tomat and Seraf Omra, should be improved to cope partly because of the weakness of formal financial services in with, and encourage the increase in market activity in Darfur but also because of the high risks associated with these more buoyant livestock markets. livestock trading and the risk of imprisonment if loans are not repaid. The livestock trade is currently dependent on informal Livestock traders interviewed for this study reported that credit, often on unfavourable terms for small-scale traders, fewer groups are now supplying livestock to the market which leaves them vulnerable to creditors defaulting in an implying there may have been a concentration of livestock environment in which trust has broken down. ownership during the conflict years. Many also reported A pilot credit scheme for livestock traders should be deteriorating quality of livestock brought to the market, designed and implemented, initially on a small-scale in probably for a number of reasons. Limited access to grazing one of Darfur’s major livestock markets, to explore because of insecurity is one cause of poor livestock condition. what it would mean to provide credit on preferential Certain groups, which had previously played a role in terms in the current environment. Depending on the fattening animals such as camels before they came to the learning and success of the pilot, such a scheme could market, are now displaced and living in camps, negatively then be scaled up. affecting the quality of camels now brought to markets such as El Geneina. Within Darfur trading activity is constantly shifting between Research is needed to understand how livestock markets, particularly between secondary markets, according ownership may have changed in Darfur during the to the conflict dynamics. For example the cattle trade has at conflict years, and to understand the relative least partially shifted from Rajaj to Tomat in South Darfur, importance of different livestock production systems, in which is regarded as more secure and where the hinterland is order to inform future strategies for rebuilding the also more secure for grazing. In North Darfur Mellit market livestock sector and livestock production in ways that has declined in importance and Seraf Omra has become the are both sustainable and inclusive of different groups. center of the camel trade. 2 On the Hoof: Livestock Trade in Darfur Policy Briefing Paper The Camel market in Seraf Omra There is a growing trade in hides and skins from Darfur Opportunities for growth, and for peacebuilding Darfur has undergone a rapid process of urbanisation during In some locations, for example Seraf Omra, trade agreements the conflict years that is unlikely to be reversed, creating a have been made between traders associated with otherwise burgeoning local market for livestock and for meat. Yet the hostile groups. These might be the foundation for future physical infrastructure for a local meat industry and for peacebuilding work to rebuild relationships between those exporting meat is poor and has received little investment. groups with a longer-term perspective. For example, could Despite being one of Sudan’s main areas for livestock produc- they also be the foundation for exploring the peaceful and tion, Darfur has only one functioning abattoir in Nyala, which sustainable co-management of natural resources involving is frequently not operational.

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