On the Hoof: Livestock Trade in Darfur - Policy Briefing Paper

This document presents policy findings on how nearly a decade of conflict disrupted Darfur’s livestock trade, drawing on field research in Darfur and Khartoum conducted from February 2011 to February 2012. It details contraction in trading volumes, collapse of primary markets, longer and more circuitous trekking routes, sharply higher costs for guards and checkpoint fees, and rising livestock prices that increase capital needs amid weak formal credit. Recommended actions prioritize improved security, piloting preferential trader credit, upgrading infrastructure in safer markets, developing local meat processing and cold-chain capacity, and revising multilayer taxation to restore competitiveness. It also calls for stronger veterinary services and coherent federal oversight, highlights growth potential in hides and skins, and identifies trader agreements across conflict lines as opportunities for peacebuilding.