With nothing more than a smartphone, Al-Nadhir Zidan, known online as Zidanov, runs a far-reaching marketing operation whose routes stretch across the ground from the city of Al-Jabalien in southern White Nile State to Northern State. His work reflects the growing power of digital marketing and its entry as a serious competitor to traditional methods in Sudan’s livestock markets.
Zidan is deeply invested in animal wealth: its markets, supply chains, and movements, from Al-Jabalien to the border enclosure of al-Qallabat, where cattle arrive from Ethiopia. He possesses extensive knowledge of animal feed and livestock safety standards. His reputation has grown on social media platforms due to the enthusiasm of farmers and livestock traders from across Sudan for the educational and promotional content he produces. His TikTok page has garnered more than 83,000 followers, with a similar number on Facebook, where he provides daily, live updates from Al-Jabalien’s livestock market on the prices of calves, sheep, and donkeys in Al-Jabalien, Rabak, and the Al-Sikka Hadeed Market in Kosti.
Beyond this, Zidan is a gifted writer with a polished literary style, narrating on his page satirical vignettes inspired by his experiences during the April war.
In Al-Jabalien market
We purchase vaccines ourselves from outside pharmacies and administer them directly—there are no official veterinary services in the market.
Al-Nadhir Zidan
Originally from Northern State, specifically rural Ad-Dabbah, Zidan currently works in Al-Jabalien, where he relocated as a trader following the outbreak of war. Before that, he dealt in fodder seeds.
His entry into calf marketing came by chance. During a visit to Al-Jabalien’s livestock market, he filmed a short video with one of the sellers, asking casually about prices: how much is this? how much is that? and posted it in a group of Northern State farmers.
Soon after, he was surprised by the many farmers and traders asking him to purchase calves on their behalf and transport them north. Requests multiplied, and from there began Zidan’s new journey: both commercial and experiential.
Today, Zidan knows that the best calves brought to Al-Jabalien market are the Kenana, named after the Kenana tribe widespread in the area. These calves are distinguished by their black-and-white colouring and lack of horns, and are preferred for their abundant meat and milk yields. Calves also arrive from Fulani communities around the White Nile; these are reddish in colour with large horns, but are less desirable in the north.
Other calves traditionally come from the Nuba Mountains, Darfur, and Kordofan, though these flows have currently stopped due to the war.
The Baggara cattle, however, continue to reach the market.
Zidan explained that young herders from the Baggara tribe migrate with their livestock to South Sudan in early summer, when water and pasture are abundant, in a seasonal movement known as an-nushuq.
At the onset of autumn, they return to Al-Jabalien on another journey called ad-damar. These seasonal migrations are also common among other nomadic groups in Kordofan and Darfur.
When the Baggara herders arrive, supply to the market becomes abundant and prices drop significantly: down to around 400,000 Sudanese pounds for younger calves. These, however, are too young to endure the long journey from Al-Jabalien to the Northern State. For this reason, Zidan does not purchase them; instead, he buys older calves priced between 550,000 and 750,000 pounds. Once government fees and transport costs are added, the price of a single calf reaches approximately 860,000 pounds.
Unlike most livestock markets in other Sudanese states, Al-Jabalien’s market operates daily and includes dedicated sections for donkeys and sheep. The sheep available are known locally as al-qaraj, and Al-Jabalien traders currently supply part of the Saudi market with them, particularly after the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) curtailed commercial movement and cut off livestock flows from Kordofan and Darfur.
Zidan purchases calves on behalf of farmers and traders in the Northern State in exchange for a fixed commission, with payment made in advance. He works with a small team to organize operations, including Tarig Abu Zaid from Abri, who represents the Mahas areas, and Idris Mohamed, who represents the Danagla regions. When a farmer or trader from one of these areas contacts Zidan, he directs them to the relevant representative.
“As a matter of trust,” Zidan explained, “and so that farmers and traders can deal with us without fear, coordination and familiarity with people from each region is essential, especially since the transferred sums are very large.”
Zidan’s role extends beyond buying, selling, and transport. He is also responsible for caring for the livestock and ensuring they remain healthy until they reach their destination.
“There are no official veterinary services in the market,” he told Atar. “So we purchase vaccines ourselves from outside pharmacies and administer them directly.”
Until recently, and unlike major cities, people in Northern State were unaccustomed to consuming beef as it was scarce and cattle rearing was not common there. This is a relatively new development, one in which the equation of war and survival appears to be playing a big part.
The journey north
Livestock is a different kind of commodity—there’s no return policy.
Al-Nadhir Zidan
On each trip, Zidan ships between 35 and 40 calves. All must be of uniform size; if larger animals are loaded alongside smaller ones, the latter risk being crushed and killed during transport due to the confined space. Zidan charges farmers and traders a unified rate regardless of distance.
“It is more of a cooperative effort than a simple delivery service,” he said.
The journey begins with trucks departing Al-Jabalien for Khartoum, then following the Shirian Al-Shamal road to al-Multaqa, continuing to Merowe.
From there, orders are fulfilled for the villages of Mansour Katti, Umbakol, Gannati, and Korti. The trucks then return to al-Multaqa and head north toward Ad-Dabbah, covering orders in Qushabi and Jira, before reaching Dongola and supplying the villages of al-Qulid, Shaba’ana, Dumbo, and Sali along the way.
Zidan tracks the calves’ progress northward closely.
“Upon arrival in Dongola, the calves are unloaded at Ali Nasser’s farm to drink and rest for two days,” he explained. “During the journey, they are prevented from drinking so they do not urinate inside the truck, which could cause slipping and death. That is why there is always a herder on each truck whose sole task is to monitor the animals until arrival.”
After resting, other trucks transport them onward to Wadi Halfa, their final destination.
Zidan focuses his marketing efforts exclusively on Northern State, though he does not object to selling along the route outside the north if he has surplus calves. The main obstacle in such cases is advance payment. He works with Northern State farmers and traders because he is a trusted figure there, with an established history from his earlier fodder-seed trade.
“But if a trader from Omdurman, for example, approaches me,” he added, “I may be an unknown figure to him, just someone who appears on social media. He might fear the issue of advance payment and say: calves first, then payment. He could even refuse the goods after receiving them. Livestock is a different kind of commodity; there’s no return policy.”
The journey from Al-Jabalien presents multiple challenges.
“To reduce costs, we have to load 35 calves per truck,” Zidan explained. “One or two may die during transport, which is a loss not covered by the commission. Add to that government levies, the numerous checkpoints that stop trucks, and some localities insisting we pay fees again.”
Egyptian traders have contacted Zidan seeking to purchase calves. He is aware that many oppose the export of live livestock, but he also recognizes that Sudan currently lacks sufficient slaughterhouses to export processed meat.
“Right now,” he said, “livestock is leaving Darfur for Chad and Libya, mostly through smuggling. It is better that animals leave through us in a legal manner.”
To Al-Jazirah and Kosti
Truck rental costs one and a half billion pounds, and we pay nearly the same amount in bribes along the route.
Ahmed Ali, livestock trader from Al-Jazirah
Other traders interviewed by Atar confirmed the complexities described by Al-Nadhir Zidan.
Among them is Ahmed Ali, a livestock trader from Al-Jazirah State who traveled to Al-Jabalien only once. Ahmed explained the heavy trader presence in Al-Jabalien market by pointing to the paved road connecting it to Rabak, Kosti, and other northern Sudanese cities, which energizes commercial movement.
“The livestock itself isn’t expensive,” he said, “But our main problem is what happens on the road: the obstinacy of soldiers, intelligence officers, traffic police, and others. At each checkpoint there are three separate posts. Truck rental costs one and a half billion Sudanese pounds, and we pay nearly the same amount in bribes along the route. Official paperwork alone costs 800,000 pounds.”
Because of these complications, Ahmed Ali has at times found himself forced to sell livestock on the spot or during the journey itself, settling for a lower profit margin. In Al-Jazirah, calves are sold for family occasions and to a limited number of traders. Ahmed purchases directly from herders at favorable prices and is considering driving calves on foot from the Tartar Mountains in Kordofan—a journey that takes a full 12 days but costs less and avoids the obstacles of the paved roads.
Ali Mahanna, another calf trader, said he buys from Kosti market on Saturdays and Tuesdays, selling in Al-Jazirah’s markets, specifically the villages of al-Mihiribia, Siliem, and East Al-Jazirah, and in al-Managil on Sundays.
“Male calves are expensive in Al-Jazirah, so butchers prefer small-sized female cattle that have never calved. Their meat is tender and the fat is white. We source them accordingly and sell based on demand and preference,” Mahanna told Atar.
Transport costs have more than doubled since the war—meat prices followed soon after.
Ali Mahanna, livestock trader
According to Mahanna, calf prices in Al-Jazirah ranged between 700,000 and 800,000 Sudanese pounds, depending on weight, while animals priced at 1,200,000 pounds are typically purchased by citizens for special occasions.
“In market language,” he said, “each type has its own distinctions. A well-finished animal with smooth outer skin is called al-najeeda. It is fed on umbaz fodder and sorghum. Al-gashashiya, which feeds on straw and wild grasses and comes from open rangeland, is called al-nayya. Its meat is light, even on the scale. There are also cattle brought from Al-Rawat, crossing between Sudan and South Sudan west of Al-Jabalien at a lower price, then fattened on Sudanese feed from the Seiga Company with a protein concentration of 21 per cent. A new feed unfamiliar to many herders is soybean meal, with a protein content of 35 per cent, which accelerates fattening. The most preferred calves are the Kenana and the Nueriya, named after the Nuer tribe in South Sudan, distinguished by their long backs and reddish hue.”
Mahanna has observed how transport costs more than doubled after the war, rising by over 50 per cent, with meat prices following suit.
“There is a new phenomenon in the market known as boko cattle: animals looted by the RSF from grazing areas across Kordofan and Darfur and brought here for sale. People with weak consciences slaughter them and sell the meat for as little as 10,000 pounds per kilo. Most citizens, however, refrain from buying it, doubting its source,” he told Atar.
To Egypt
The journey of calves does not stop within Sudan’s borders; it extends beyond them, whether the animals are exported live or slaughtered.
An exporter, who requested anonymity, previously worked in exporting livestock to Egypt from al-Miweilih market west of Omdurman. The war forced him, along with many others, out of the market after all his enclosures were looted, around 850 sheep and 280 cattle. He told Atar that livestock exports have long been entangled in tribal, military, and economic complications known only to those who have worked in the sector as traders or intermediaries.
Drawing on his extensive experience exporting livestock between Sudan and Egypt, he described the current situation:
“Egypt now accepts any quantity of Sudanese livestock. There are animal production companies that take charge of feeding and fattening calves in Abu Sumbul, in specialized centres. Yes, the Egyptians have greater capacity than we do, but exporting live animals harms many Sudanese interests, especially the fodder trade, which relies on byproducts of oilseed processing such as peanuts, umbaz, and cottonseed, as well as fitareta sorghum, wheat bran, and milled sorghum used as cattle feed.”
He emphasized the downstream benefits of slaughtering livestock inside Sudan: hides for shoe manufacturing, bones for animal feed, even horns exported to be made into natural buttons for textiles.
“That is why prices in the market have recently inflated to an almost absurd degree,” he added.
The exporter also pointed to the direct impact of the Darfur conflict on the livestock trade.
“The largest cattle inflows used to come from the areas around Nyala, Ad-Deain, and the wider Darfur region, areas now under RSF control. Some major traders succumbed to ethnic loyalties, joined the RSF, acquired military ranks, and took on other roles. According to available information, cattle now leave for Chad, Libya, and Egypt through smuggling routes. When they head north, they enter ad-Dabbah under the protection of non-regular militias involved in smuggling. Sheep are smuggled via Halaib and Shalateen through unofficial crossings. There are also covert dealings between some of the warring parties: kinship ties have not been severed despite the fighting. A livestock trader or enclosure owner in RSF-controlled areas may send his cattle to a cousin serving in the army. For Darfur traders, trust and securing the arrival of their cattle in the north are paramount.”
Before the war, calves were exported to Egypt, either slaughtered or live, through three international export-ready slaughterhouses: Ghanawa abattoir on the export road west of al-Miweilih market; the Karari National Slaughterhouse, known as al-Tinnai, west of Omdurman; and al-Kadaru slaughterhouse north of Bahri. The exporter noted that preparations had been underway to add a fourth export slaughterhouse at Kilometre 26 on Shirian Al-Shamal Road, belonging to al-Junaid Company owned by Hemedti. It was never inaugurated after the events of April 15, and the other three slaughterhouses ceased operations.
Al-Kadaru Slaughterhouse was reopened in August 2025 after the army regained control of Khartoum. Al-Gadarif Slaughterhouse has also recently resumed meat exports after a ten-year halt, alongside circulating, but unverified, reports of other slaughterhouses returning to operation.
The exporter further noted that the Sudanese army Defense Industry System–affiliated company Multi-Directions (etegahat-group.com) dominates Sudan’s livestock markets exclusively through massive financing and advanced logistics.
“This company and its subsidiaries have agents who purchase and pay in cash in all livestock markets across Sudan, then transport the animals for aggregation in al-Miweilih market before distributing them to slaughterhouses for export,” he said, adding:
“Competition is fundamentally unequal between these companies and ordinary traders burdened by countless obstacles, which is why most now prefer to sell to them to avoid risk. In Egypt as well, companies affiliated with the Egyptian army buy from Multi-Directions Company and control domestic distribution channels. There are also problems related to export proceeds returning to the Central Bank of Sudan. Had these funds been properly remitted, the state would have benefited far more.”
In ad-Damar and al-Miweilih
Atar observed the appearance of a new type of calf in ad-Damar livestock market known as Mangisto, characterized by its short stature. The exporter explained that these calves are brought by Sudanese and Egyptian traders from Ethiopia on a 45-day journey, guided and acclimatized by specialized herders.
“Because they are cheaper than our local cattle,” he said, “many small traders are now working in this market, even though their meat is less preferred due to its yellow fat. Citizens, however, are driven by price differentials amid the country’s economic crisis.”
Al-Miweilih market has partially resumed operations, and the police station has reopened. “But adequate security for traders is still lacking, with ongoing thefts and threats. If traders feel safe, they will certainly return,” the exporter added.
Al-Miweilih was more than a livestock market. It hosted the country’s largest fodder trade, supplied from Al-Jazirah and Al-Gadarif, and, before the war, served as the main convergence point for livestock arriving from Kordofan and Darfur.
“I believe Northern State’s current reliance on Al-Jabalien is a temporary wartime shift,” the exporter concluded. “It used to purchase directly from al-Miweilih; Omdurman is geographically closer. But this is the new economy of war.”
