#zaghawa

Zaghawa women, Biltine, Chad, 2.22.2002 🇹🇩

Darfur

Proposed state: Darfur

Region: Darfur, Sudan

Ethnic group: Fur, Masalit, Tama, Zaghawa

Goal: autonomy/independence

Date: 2003-present

Political parties: -

Militant organizations: Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM), Justice and Equality Movement (JEM)

Current status: war

History

12th century-15th century - Daju kingdom

13th century-16th century - Tunjur kingdom

1603-1874; 1898-1916 - Sultanate of Darfur

1916 - Darfur is incorporated into Sudan

1956 - independence of Sudan

1994 - Darfur is divided into three federal states

2003 - beginning of the war in Darfur

The semi-legendary culture of the Tora is said to have been the first civilization to inhabit Darfur. They were suceeded by the Daju, who were ousted from power by the Tunjur.

The Sultanate of Darfur was established in 1603 and lasted until 1874, when it fell to a Sudanese warlord. It existed again from 1898 to 1916, when Darfur was integrated into Anglo-Egyptian Sudan. In the period between 1874 and 1898, the territory enjoyed de jure autonomy under British rule.

After the independence of Sudan, Darfuris started to oppose the neglect of the region by the central government, ruled by Arabs. During the two civil wars that pitted Sudan with present-day South Sudan, a rhetoric of Arabs against Africans was used. In 1994, Darfur was divided into three federal states within Sudan to avoid a Fur majority in any state.

In 2003, two local groups—the JEM and the SLM—rebelled against the central government, accusing it of oppressing non-Arabs in favor of Arabs and of neglecting Darfur. The government responded by carrying out a campaign of ethnic cleansing against non-Arabs that turned into a war. Although a peace agreement was signed in 2020, major clashes occurred in 2021.

Darfuris

Several ethnic groups live in Darfur, including the Fur, Masalit, Tama, and Zaghawa. The largest ethnic group is the Fur, who also live in Chad, the Central African Republic, and Egypt, and number 744,000 people. They speak Fur, a Furan language, and follow Sunni Islam.

The Masalit people inhabit Chad and Sudan and speak Masalit, a Maban language. There are around 440,000 Masalit and most adhere to Islam.

The Tama are a non-Arab group of people that live in Chad and Sudan. There are around 300,000 Tama and they speak Tama, a Tamaic language, and follow Islam.

The Zaghawa, also known as Beri, mainly live in Chad, Libya, and Sudan and number 480,000 people. They speak Zaghawa, a Saharan language, and are Sunni Muslims.

Vocabulary

Since each of these ethnic groups has its own language and the official language of Sudan is Arabic, the vocabulary list will be in Arabic, except for words that pertain directly to an ethnic group.

عَرَبٌ (ʿarab) - Arabs

الفيدرالية (alfidiralia) - federalism

الحكم الذاتي (alhukm aldhaatiu) - autonomy

اَلْعَرَبِيَّةُ (al-ʿarabiyyah) - Arabic

السودان (as-Sūdān‎) - Sudan

دار فور (Dār Fūr) - Darfur; realm of the Fur

فور (Fūr) - Fur people

فوراوي‎ (Fûrâwî) - Fur language

حركة العدل والمساواة (Ḥarakat al-ʿAdl wal-musāwāh) - Justice and Equality Movement

حركة تحرير السودان (Ḥarakat Taḥrīr Al-Sūdān) - Sudan Liberation Movement

ماساليت (Masalit) - Masalit

سلطنة دارفور (saltanat Darfur) - Sultanate of Darfur

حرب (harb) - war

bèle fòòr (Fur) - Fur language

fòòrà (Fur) - Fur people

kana masalaka (Masalit) - Masalit language

masala (Masalit) - Masalit people