Eid sheep prices expose warped economics of Sudan war

Darfur’s livestock markets are overflowing, while conflict drives huge regional price gaps. Livestock markets across Sudan’s western regions are bustling ahead of Eid El Adha*, with traders reporting an abundance of sacrificial sheep despite the country’s war and deepening economic crisis. Yet the apparent plenty masks widening disparities between Sudan’s production zones and its centres of consumption, underscoring the distortions created by conflict.

In Nyala, capital of South Darfur, traders say relative stability has allowed livestock from across the region to flow back into local markets. Sheep prices range from SDG150,000 to SDG400,000, depending on size and quality, offering what sellers describe as “options for different levels of purchasing power”.

“We have unprecedented supply this year,” said Hussein Karshoum, a trader bringing livestock from El Sunta in South Darfur into Nyala. Others insisted that, despite inflation and war, most families would still be able to afford an animal for the holiday.

However, the scenes in Darfur’s livestock markets also reveal the harsh economic pressures gripping Sudanese society. In one corner of the market, 13-year-old Jamal Adam was selling sheep to support his family’s income, a reminder of how many households have turned to seasonal work as wartime hardship deepens.

Nation divided by price

The contrast between Darfur and other parts of Sudan is stark. According to livestock expert Dr Khalifa Bakht, sheep that fetch up to SDG450,000 in production areas such as Darfur, while in Kordofan, they can sell for more than SDH 1 million, and and sometimes above SDG 2 million in central, eastern, and northern Sudan.

The war, he argued, is chiefly responsible. Road closures, fuel costs, and disruptions linked to global shipping routes have sharply increased transport costs, while weak purchasing power inside Darfur has depressed local prices despite abundant supply.

Traders are now pressing authorities to reopen and secure roads to revive livestock exports and stabilise commerce. Some are also calling for Sudan to expand access to neighbouring markets in order to absorb surplus production.

Supply routes reopen in South Kordofan

Further south, in Kadugli, residents reported a modest easing of shortages after basic goods including flour, sugar, and cooking oil began reaching the city following the reopening of a key road linking North and South Kordofan. The route had been disrupted for months by fighting and insecurity.

The reopening follows advances by the Sudanese army and allied forces around the town of El Takma. Residents and traders say commercial activity in Kadugli has revived since supplies resumed arriving in the city.

Yet security along the road remains fragile. The United Nations said humanitarian partners had begun using the route to transport medical and other life-saving supplies to the nearby town of Dilling, where shortages of food, medicine and essential goods have intensified during the conflict.

*Also known as the ‘Feast of the Sacrifice’, Eid El Adha in the Muslim lunar calendar falls on the 10th day of Dhu El Hijjah. It honours the willingness of Ibrahim (Abraham) to sacrifice his son Ismail (Ishmael) as an act of obedience to God’s command.(The Jewish and Christian religions believe that according to Genesis 22:2, Abraham took his son Isaac to sacrifice.) Before Ibrahim could sacrifice his son, however, Allah provided a lamb to sacrifice instead.

In commemoration of this intervention, animals are sacrificed ritually. One third of their meat is consumed by the family offering the sacrifice, while the rest is distributed to the poor and needy. Sweets and gifts are given, and extended family are typically visited and welcomed. (Source: Wikipedia)