Zaghawa

The Zaghawa (also spelled Zakhawa) are an African ethnic group or tribe, mainly living in eastern Chad and western Sudan, including the Darfur province of Sudan.

They refer to themselves as the Beri, while the name Zaghawa was given to them by the nearby Arab peoples, and became more well-known. They have their own language, which is also called Zaghawa, and the breed of sheep that they herd is called Zaghawa by the Arabs. They are semi-nomadic and obtain much of their livelihood through herding cattle, camels and sheep, and harvesting wild grains. It has been estimated that there are between 75,000 to 350,000 Zaghawa. They primarily live in Chad and the Darfur region of Sudan. [ Zaghawa survey, SIL Chad. 2004.]

While they are not very powerful in Sudan, they politically dominate Chad. The current president, Idriss Déby and several former prime ministers of Chad are Zaghawa, as well as many other members of the government. Thus the Chadian Zaghawa are among the richest and most influential people of Chad.

However, in Sudan, the Zaghawa are caught up in the Darfur crisis, and have suffered much loss from the troubles there. The Zaghawa of Sudan are among the peoples living in the refugee camps in Darfur and eastern Chad.

The Zaghawa have been among the tribes in Darfur who have been referred to as "African" even as other tribes that have fought with them have been called "Arab". [http://www.guardian.co.uk/sudan/story/0,14658,1268773,00.html] de Waal, Alex, "Darfur's deep grievances defy all hopes for an easy solution", opinion article, "The Observer" of London, July 25, 2004, accessed September 4, 2007]

As a result of Tijani Muslim missionaries from West Africa who were traveling through their area to make the pilgrimage to Mecca, the leadership converted to Islam. In the 1940s, the Zaghawa began to turn to Islam from Animism en masse. In Darfur, the Zaghawa are well-known for their piety. Due to the fighting in Darfur, where they are targeted by local Arab militia due to their ethnic heritage, 100,000 have become refugees across the border in Chad. [See www.nytimes.com/2006/02/28/international/africa/28border.html ] [See Survivances préislamiques parmi les zaghawa by Marie-José Tubiana ]

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