Rizeigat tribe
This article needs additional citations for verification. (October 2009) |
Rizeigat الرزيقات | |
---|---|
Republic of Chad | |
Population | 400,000 |
Branches |
|
Language | Sudanese Arabic or Chadian Arabic |
Religion | Sunni Islam |
The Rizeigat, or Rizigat, or Rezeigat (Standard Arabic: Rizayqat) are a
The
In the Darfur conflict the
Northern Rizeigat
The Northern Rizeigat are Arab nomads who herd camels. The northern Rizeigat have the Mahamid, Mahariya and Nuwaiba sections in common with the southern Rizeigat but there are two other sections that are solely Abbala - these are the Atayfat and the Irayqat.
Camels
Camels are at the center of status and identity. Ownership of camels is directly related to the power of the tribe and defines the nomads relationships to land, resources, and farmers. Owning camels has produced systems that allowed for a symbiotic relationship between the nomads and settled farmers. However, certain pressures have negatively affected this livelihood. These range from population growth and increases in farming (including associated economic and commercial agriculture) to climate change and restrictive legislation. This challenged their lifestyle and led to feeding competition between the nomads and farmers, which shepherds in inevitable conflict.[8]
Education
Power is closely linked to education and it fuels how they understand themselves, their status, and attaining power. The nomads are aware of their lack of education and therefore influence. This leads to a desire for education which pressures them to convert to a sedentary lifestyle with the idea of making education more accessible.[8]
Southern Rizeigat
They are cattle herders and live in East Darfur with their tribal capital at Ed Daein, under the authority of the Madibbo family.
The Baggara Rizeigat were a constant thorn for the Fur Sultans, residing in south-east Darfur. The sultans had never been able to bring the Baggara tribes under their control, the Rizeigat particularly were experts at guerrilla warfare suited to their homeland and used space and time to draw the Fur forces into a series of disasters.[9] German explorer Gustav Nachtigal who was in Darfur in the 19th century, documented in detail the failure of the 18 military campaigns sent against the Rizeigat in the mid 19th century by Fur Sultan Muhammad al-Husayn in his 35-year reign.[10]
The Baggara Rizeigat played a major role in the
See also
- Baggara
- Abbala
Notes
- , 12 October 2007, p. 2
- ^ United States Department of State, "Trafficking in Persons Report 2008 - Sudan, 4 June 2008". Online. UNHCR Refworld, available at: http://www.unhcr.org/refworld/docid/484f9a3ec.html [accessed 24 June 2008]
- ^ Young, Helen M. (2009). Livelihoods, Power, and Choice: The Vulnerability of the Northern Rizaygat, Darfur, Sudan. Feinstein International Center, Tufts University. p. 88.
- ^ Young, Helen M. (2009). Livelihoods, Power, and Choice: The Vulnerability of the Northern Rizaygat, Darfur, Sudan. Feinstein International Center, Tufts University. p. 29.
- ISBN 9780585104652.
- ISBN 9781842779507.
- ISBN 9781842779507.
- ^ a b Young, Osman, Abusin, Asher, and Egemi, 2009, Livelihoods, Power, and Choice -- The Vulnerability of the Northern Rizaygat, Darfur, Sudan, Feinstein International Center.
- ISBN 9781139781640.
- ISBN 9781847011114.
- ISBN 9781139781640.