Hawazma
Encyclopedia
Hawazma, part of Sudan
's Baggara
tribe, are cattle
herder
s who roam the area from the southern parts of North Kurdufan
to the southern borders of South Kurdufan
, a distance of about 300 kilometers. Through their nomad
ic movement, the Hawazma know the area, terrain
, ethnic group
s, local tribes, tribal culture
s, ecosystem
s, climate
, vegetation
, existence of risks and disease
s, and water resources better than any other inhabitants of the region. The term Baggara is a collective name applied to all cattle-herding tribes with Arab
roots. Cattle herders from Nuba
tribes are not called Baggara. Cattle herders of middle and eastern Sudan
, although they Arabic in roots, are also not Baggara. The Baggara occupies a wide area, from Kordofan
, Mid-Western Sudan, to Darfur
in the far Western Sudan and extending to neighboring Chad
. They are a collection of seven major tribes: Hawazma, Messiria
Humr, Messiria
Zurug, Rizeigat
, Ta’isha
, Habbaniya
, Beni Halba
, Awlad Himayd
, and Beni Selam. All Baggara have close physical characteristics, costume
s, dance
, religion
, food
, and in general a common culture
and way of life.
ic missionaries to Africa as part of Baggara
Arabs, perhaps as early as the 12th century. Most historian
s believe they belong to the Guhayna
group; a clan
of Bedouin
Arab
s which migrated from Saudi Arabia
. Hawazma traditional historians say they originally came from the Arabian Peninsula
to Egypt
then followed the River Nile until they settled on Jebel Awliyya part of Khartoum
Province and as the grazing land became scarce and overcrowded they gradually moved to Western Sudan. These stories correspond well with the presence of scores of Hawazma in Kosti
, Middle Sudan, Um Rowaba, Eastern part of Kordofan and Al Rahad, middle-eastern part of Kordofan. The journey continued beyond Kordofan, to Darfur on the Western Sudan and today they have reached Chad
, the country on western border of Sudan.
Wherever Baggara settle they start a seasonal nomadic movement that goes from north to south, in a Round-Robin fashion according to the season and perpendicular to their historical migration route. Mostly they only follow two routes, one route from north to south and different route from south to north. But the routes are not far apart, and they are permanent, they never change them. Any tribe has its own routes. Hawazma are mostly found in routes originating from Al Obeid
city in North Kurdufan
, through Deling city and its eastern part, Kadugli city and its eastern part, to Talodi
region. Messiria
just borders them to the west. Humr borders Messiria to the west. And so forth.
Today the Hawazma in particular and Baggara in general bear little resemblance to Bedouin Arabs, due to their acclimatization and their inter-marriage with other African tribes. Many Hawazma subtribes have dark skin, and closely resemble Nuba tribes. And many members of these tribes speak Nuba dialects fluently. Still some tribe names indicate their mixed origins. Other Hawazma subtribes have preserved their Arabic features: light brown complexion, and thick eyebrows and lashes.
When Hawazma families lose their herds they settle. Generally, Hawazma settled in village
s or established villages from southern parts of Al Obeid city in Northern Kordofan to Talodi city in South Kordofan. Those who settled in northern border of South Kordofan or Southern border of North Kordofan are mostly Gumaiyya, including: Gumaiyya Kilaibab, Gumaiyya Al Hussienat, and Gumaiyya Matrafia, in addition to other Hawazma Oulad Gaboush and Dar Niayylie. These subtribes intermarried with Bidaria and Mosabaat and other Kordofanian tribes. Their lifestyle closely resembles the Kordofanian tribes. Mostly engaged in raising crops and cattle. Notably their Hawazma Arabic Accent is inclined to include Kordofanian Arabic accents. Similarly, they adopted a way of cultivation, crop tending, and harvesting similar to those other Kordofanian tribes. They used a long-sticked spade called Jarrieh and Saloqqa, they tend their farm while standing, not similar to those of Hawazma deep in South Kordofan who tend while they are sitting on their heels. Their crops include: millet, watermelon, groundnuts, sesame and hibiscus.
Those who settled in the middle of South Kordofan in Kadugli and its suburb, include: Gumaiyya Nafar Balal, Gumaiyya Nafar Ayyad, Gumaiyya Nafar Adam and others. These who settled around the Deling city and its suburb are mostly Hawazma Dar Niayylie. Both groups have adopted the main stream Hawazma way of life and their Hawazma Arabic accents. In terms of agricultural practices, they grow sorghum, sesame, cotton and okra. They mostly use tools such as Sollucab for seeding and Antabab and axe for clearing shrubs and trees. Mostly cultivate by uprooting grasses with their bare hands. These are among the most victimized Hawazma during this civil wars.
On the southern parts of South Kordofan, settled Hawazma Al Rawawqa. Al Rawawqa subtribe embodies large subsubtribal diversity. Among the most prevalent are Rawawqa Oulad Nuba. These are group of Hawazma who most resembles Nuba in most of their living habits and agricultural practices. They cultivate with Jarrieh a Nuba developed tool, tend while sitting on their heels. Mostly grow sorghum, sesame, and groundnuts and gather wild okra. Again these are among the most victimized Hawazma in the region.
On the eastern side of South Kordofan, lives Hawazma Darbettie, now separated from those living central South Kordofan, due to geographic distance.
On the western parts of South Kordofan, no Hawazma live their, it is found our cousins: Messiria
, Humr, Rezeigat, Ta'isha and Habbaniya
. They have similar lifestyles as Hawazma, and only differentiated by their phonetic accents of Arabic language.
people, have graceful slim physical statues, their skins ranges from light brown to dark colors. Explorers to the region motioned that they have far better mental capabilities, wit and humor than any other African tribes around them; they have passion for life and collective life style. The men wear a white gown called Jallabiyya, white pants (Pajamas), a head cap called Tagia, a big white turbans called Eema and a locally made leather shoes called Marqoub. Always men of all ages carry knives, which worn on the forceps of the left arm & hidden in a decorated leather covering,carry sticks, spears, sometimes swords or big spears. The women wear a dress called Foustan, and cover their bodies with taubes such as Indian Sari. Young men wear eye-catching colored flashy shirts, shorts, pants, beads, necklaces, and bracelets. Young women wear Foustan during festivals and dancing to show their ornate braded hairs style.
Women represent an important workforce; they milk cows, prepare meals, raise kids, market dairy products, build houses, and participate in crops cultivation. Baggara youth are cheerful group in the Baggara families; their main mental set to look for festivals, rituals, dancing gossip around for absentinence and only supervises young kids to range cattle. Men are completely idle during dry seasons, play Dala (sort of cards played with sticks) and coordinate the meager activity during summer such as delivering grains to mills and bringing the daily family grocery from women?s marketed-dairy-product money. Baggara raise huge herds, never for marketing, but for prestige. The wealth and prestige is determined by the size of one's herds. Women crush on those with large herds. Barbara Michael,,, work is a great contribution to the subject of Hawazma socio-enonomics.
Soon after, weapons started to appear on the black market. The military started recalling retirees and drafting young men for service. The weapons trade was flourishing with gun sellers roaming the Baggara villages and nomad camps. A young man without a machine gun was just like a woman. To be a man, you had to have a machine gun. The Baggara started to organize themselves as militia. The militiamen given themselves roles to protect the Baggara camps and fight to defend the villages.
Nomeri's regime began arming Messiria
Zurug and Messiria
Humr to balance the rebel attack on Abyei
area. The rebels attacked a Chevron Oil Company
site, killing four Chevron employees. Also, they attacked the Baggara campuses to acquire cattle for food. Now the war completely broke at southwest of South Kordofan. By the end of Normeri's regime, in 1985, South Kordofan was in chaos although other parts of Kordofan were peaceful.
During, Al Sadiq Al Mahdi era, the Messiria
Zurug and Messiria
Humr were armored http://protection.unsudanig.org/data/south/papers/african_rights/2war, the paramilitary forces became legal and carrying weapons was legal. Everyone had AK-47
machine gun. During this time rebels attacked the southern part of South Kordofan, especially Gardoud village, around Talodi city. The Baggara were heavily victimized in Gardoud; sixty Baggara were dead, 82 wounded; see the first Paragraph in this report http://protection.unsudanig.org/data/south/papers/african_rights/2war. Religious leaders and Imams, were publicly executed, women were raped, houses were burned and cattle herds were raided. South Kordofan now is a war zone. People evacuated the cities, traders stopped their trades, and all other tribes and ethnic groups not from South Kordofan left the region.
In 1989, Al Boukhas village was completely destroyed and about 40 villages of Hawazma were either attacked or evacuated before the attack and the people left their possessions and crops. By the end of 1989, about 300,000 Baggara were either relocated to big cities or displaced and resettled on the northern border of South Kordofan. For six years, Kuwa war machines (six battalions) were directed to systematic torturing of Baggara tribes, completely destroying their infrastructures and eliminating their educated youth; leaders; and the elite. We have not seen any major attack on military compuses or major military strong hold places in South Kordofan. The war was directed toward Baggara tribesmens.
In January 1990 Abu Safifa village was burned to the ground. By February 1990, only Baggara men stayed on the villages while kids, women and the elderly were displaced or relocated. The war became ethnic cleansings against the Baggara, while the west still misleaded with the NGOs, which look after their religious and political agenda in South Kordofan desperate tribal wars. Rebel guerrilla fighters were looking for excitement in the news by destroying Baggara villages to show their presence, then escape to the mountains tops such as Morou Mountain or Tolishi Mountains.
Nuba militia fighters found a breeding ground in the presence of rebels fighters. Tarrevera militia fighters, from Morou, crossed the road for every vehicle; evacuating Baggara and executing them. They placed road mines and ambushed cars. When mines went off, they would attack; kill or loot goods and then they would escape to mountains or densely forested valleys.
→
During the military regime of President Omar Hassan al-Bashir, which came to power in June 1989, by revolting against elected Prime Minister Sadiq Al Mahdi government, South Kordofan entered a new phase of the civil war. Islamic jihad war against infidels was completely the norm of life in South Kordofan. Religious decrees (Fatwas) were declared urging people to join the war http://protection.unsudanig.org/data/south/papers/african_rights/2war. Baggara are 100 percent Muslims and 75 percent of Nuba are Muslims. Then who was the Islamic war against? However, due to desperation of Baggara, following the unspeakable atrocities by rebels, they sided with the military forces to protect themselves. Soon, Yusuf Kuwa and rebels fighters realized the effect of Baggara on the war balance; basically attributed to their knowledge of the terrain and the intricacies of South Kordofan. The Baggara lead the government forces to caves and hiding places for the rebels. Rebels Commander Yusif Kuwa Mekki started to negotiate with Baggara http://www.ifaanet.org/ifaapr/nuba_conflict.htm, either to take side with him or at least to refrain from supporting the Government army against the rebels. Yusuf Kuwa successed in convening and writing many mutual agreements with local Baggara leaders.
Baggara held good to their agreements. This came to disadvantage the government. The government, thereafter, started a full swing against Baggara, who hold to their agreements by jailing, torturing or killing or forcing them to refrain from any agreements.
As of today, with peace agreement in progress, Baggara has nothing to negotiate. They were used, abused and victimized by the rebels and the Government forces. NGOs never came to Baggara villages to report the atrocities, and probably assumed not deserving any human rights.
Sudan
Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
's Baggara
Baggara
The Baggāra Arabs are a set of communities inhabiting the portion of Africa's Sahel between Lake Chad and southern Kordofan, numbering over one million. They have a common language which is one of the regional colloquial Arabic languages...
tribe, are cattle
Cattle
Cattle are the most common type of large domesticated ungulates. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae, are the most widespread species of the genus Bos, and are most commonly classified collectively as Bos primigenius...
herder
Herder
A herder is a worker who lives a possibly semi-nomadic life, caring for various domestic animals, in places where these animals wander pasture lands....
s who roam the area from the southern parts of North Kurdufan
North Kurdufan
North Kurdufan is one of the 15 wilayat or states of Sudan. It has an area of 185,302 km² and an estimated population of 2,529,370 . Al-Ubayyid is the capital of the state.North Kurdufan is generally arid and desert.- History :...
to the southern borders of South Kurdufan
South Kurdufan
Southern Kordofan is one of the 15 wilayat or provinces of Sudan. It has an area of 158,355 km² and an estimated population of approximately 1,100,000 people . Kaduqli is the capital of the state...
, a distance of about 300 kilometers. Through their nomad
Nomad
Nomadic people , commonly known as itinerants in modern-day contexts, are communities of people who move from one place to another, rather than settling permanently in one location. There are an estimated 30-40 million nomads in the world. Many cultures have traditionally been nomadic, but...
ic movement, the Hawazma know the area, terrain
Terrain
Terrain, or land relief, is the vertical and horizontal dimension of land surface. When relief is described underwater, the term bathymetry is used...
, ethnic group
Ethnic group
An ethnic group is a group of people whose members identify with each other, through a common heritage, often consisting of a common language, a common culture and/or an ideology that stresses common ancestry or endogamy...
s, local tribes, tribal culture
Culture
Culture is a term that has many different inter-related meanings. For example, in 1952, Alfred Kroeber and Clyde Kluckhohn compiled a list of 164 definitions of "culture" in Culture: A Critical Review of Concepts and Definitions...
s, ecosystem
Ecosystem
An ecosystem is a biological environment consisting of all the organisms living in a particular area, as well as all the nonliving , physical components of the environment with which the organisms interact, such as air, soil, water and sunlight....
s, climate
Climate
Climate encompasses the statistics of temperature, humidity, atmospheric pressure, wind, rainfall, atmospheric particle count and other meteorological elemental measurements in a given region over long periods...
, vegetation
Vegetation
Vegetation is a general term for the plant life of a region; it refers to the ground cover provided by plants. It is a general term, without specific reference to particular taxa, life forms, structure, spatial extent, or any other specific botanical or geographic characteristics. It is broader...
, existence of risks and disease
Disease
A disease is an abnormal condition affecting the body of an organism. It is often construed to be a medical condition associated with specific symptoms and signs. It may be caused by external factors, such as infectious disease, or it may be caused by internal dysfunctions, such as autoimmune...
s, and water resources better than any other inhabitants of the region. The term Baggara is a collective name applied to all cattle-herding tribes with Arab
Arab
Arab people, also known as Arabs , are a panethnicity primarily living in the Arab world, which is located in Western Asia and North Africa. They are identified as such on one or more of genealogical, linguistic, or cultural grounds, with tribal affiliations, and intra-tribal relationships playing...
roots. Cattle herders from Nuba
Nuba
Nuba is a collective term used here for the peoples who inhabit the Nuba Mountains, in Sudan, Africa. Although the term is used to describe them as if they composed a single group, the Nuba are multiple distinct peoples and speak different languages...
tribes are not called Baggara. Cattle herders of middle and eastern Sudan
Sudan
Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
, although they Arabic in roots, are also not Baggara. The Baggara occupies a wide area, from Kordofan
Kurdufan
Kurdufan , also spelled Kordofan, is a former province of central Sudan. In 1994 it was divided into three new federal states: North Kurdufan, South Kurdufan, and West Kurdufan...
, Mid-Western Sudan, to Darfur
Darfur
Darfur is a region in western Sudan. An independent sultanate for several hundred years, it was incorporated into Sudan by Anglo-Egyptian forces in 1916. The region is divided into three federal states: West Darfur, South Darfur, and North Darfur...
in the far Western Sudan and extending to neighboring Chad
Chad
Chad , officially known as the Republic of Chad, is a landlocked country in Central Africa. It is bordered by Libya to the north, Sudan to the east, the Central African Republic to the south, Cameroon and Nigeria to the southwest, and Niger to the west...
. They are a collection of seven major tribes: Hawazma, Messiria
Messiria
The Messiria known also under the name of Misseriya Arabs are a branch of the Baggara Arabs tribes. Their language is the Sudanese Arabic. Numbering over one million, the Baggara are the second largest people group in Western Sudan, extending into Eastern Chad. They are primarily nomadic cattle...
Humr, Messiria
Messiria
The Messiria known also under the name of Misseriya Arabs are a branch of the Baggara Arabs tribes. Their language is the Sudanese Arabic. Numbering over one million, the Baggara are the second largest people group in Western Sudan, extending into Eastern Chad. They are primarily nomadic cattle...
Zurug, Rizeigat
Rizeigat
The Rizeigat, or Rizigat, or Rezeigat are a Muslim and Arabic tribe of the nomadic Bedouin Baggara people in Sudan's Darfur region. The Rizeigat belong to the greater Baggara Arabs fraternity of Darfur and Kordofan and speak Sudanese Arabic...
, Ta’isha
Ta’isha
Ta’isha is one of the Baqqara tribes, these nomads originated from the Guhayna group, a clan of Bedouin Arabs who came across the Sinai Peninsula from Arabia. They eventually moved into the Nile region of Upper Egypt and then into Sudan in the beginning of the 16 century around 1504. They settled...
, Habbaniya
Habbaniya
The Habbaniya, or Habbania, are a Sunni Muslim tribe of the nomadic Bedouin Baggara people in the plains of Sudan's Darfur, North Kurdufan, and South Kurdufan provinces....
, Beni Halba
Beni Halba
The Beni Halba is an Arab group located in the western Sudanese region of Darfur. The Beni Halba is one of the major Darfuri Baggara groups, along with the Habbaniya, Rizeigat and Ta’isha, and was granted a large hakura in southern Darfur by the sultans of independent Dar Fur...
, Awlad Himayd
Awlad Himayd
Awlad Himayd is a group of people that are part of the greater Baggara Arabs fraternity of Kordofan and Darfur.-Description:They speak Sudanese Arabic. Awlad Himayd live in eastern parts of South Kordofan. They were nomadic people who shared routes with the Halafa, a branch of the Hawazma, and...
, and Beni Selam. All Baggara have close physical characteristics, costume
Costume
The term costume can refer to wardrobe and dress in general, or to the distinctive style of dress of a particular people, class, or period. Costume may also refer to the artistic arrangement of accessories in a picture, statue, poem, or play, appropriate to the time, place, or other circumstances...
s, dance
Dance
Dance is an art form that generally refers to movement of the body, usually rhythmic and to music, used as a form of expression, social interaction or presented in a spiritual or performance setting....
, religion
Religion
Religion is a collection of cultural systems, belief systems, and worldviews that establishes symbols that relate humanity to spirituality and, sometimes, to moral values. Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to...
, food
Food
Food is any substance consumed to provide nutritional support for the body. It is usually of plant or animal origin, and contains essential nutrients, such as carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, or minerals...
, and in general a common culture
Culture
Culture is a term that has many different inter-related meanings. For example, in 1952, Alfred Kroeber and Clyde Kluckhohn compiled a list of 164 definitions of "culture" in Culture: A Critical Review of Concepts and Definitions...
and way of life.
Origins
The Hawazma are believed to have migrated to Sudan during early days of IslamIslam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
ic missionaries to Africa as part of Baggara
Baggara
The Baggāra Arabs are a set of communities inhabiting the portion of Africa's Sahel between Lake Chad and southern Kordofan, numbering over one million. They have a common language which is one of the regional colloquial Arabic languages...
Arabs, perhaps as early as the 12th century. Most historian
Historian
A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the study of all history in time. If the individual is...
s believe they belong to the Guhayna
Guhayna
Guhayna is an ethnic group of Central Sudan. The number of its members is about one million. Most persons of this group are Muslims. They speak Arabic....
group; a clan
Clan
A clan is a group of people united by actual or perceived kinship and descent. Even if lineage details are unknown, clan members may be organized around a founding member or apical ancestor. The kinship-based bonds may be symbolical, whereby the clan shares a "stipulated" common ancestor that is a...
of Bedouin
Bedouin
The Bedouin are a part of a predominantly desert-dwelling Arab ethnic group traditionally divided into tribes or clans, known in Arabic as ..-Etymology:...
Arab
Arab
Arab people, also known as Arabs , are a panethnicity primarily living in the Arab world, which is located in Western Asia and North Africa. They are identified as such on one or more of genealogical, linguistic, or cultural grounds, with tribal affiliations, and intra-tribal relationships playing...
s which migrated from Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
. Hawazma traditional historians say they originally came from the Arabian Peninsula
Arabian Peninsula
The Arabian Peninsula is a land mass situated north-east of Africa. Also known as Arabia or the Arabian subcontinent, it is the world's largest peninsula and covers 3,237,500 km2...
to Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
then followed the River Nile until they settled on Jebel Awliyya part of Khartoum
Khartoum
Khartoum is the capital and largest city of Sudan and of Khartoum State. It is located at the confluence of the White Nile flowing north from Lake Victoria, and the Blue Nile flowing west from Ethiopia. The location where the two Niles meet is known as "al-Mogran"...
Province and as the grazing land became scarce and overcrowded they gradually moved to Western Sudan. These stories correspond well with the presence of scores of Hawazma in Kosti
Kosti
Kosti is a major city in Sudan that lies south of Khartoum and stands on the western bank of the White Nile river, opposite Rabak, where there is a bridge...
, Middle Sudan, Um Rowaba, Eastern part of Kordofan and Al Rahad, middle-eastern part of Kordofan. The journey continued beyond Kordofan, to Darfur on the Western Sudan and today they have reached Chad
Chad
Chad , officially known as the Republic of Chad, is a landlocked country in Central Africa. It is bordered by Libya to the north, Sudan to the east, the Central African Republic to the south, Cameroon and Nigeria to the southwest, and Niger to the west...
, the country on western border of Sudan.
Wherever Baggara settle they start a seasonal nomadic movement that goes from north to south, in a Round-Robin fashion according to the season and perpendicular to their historical migration route. Mostly they only follow two routes, one route from north to south and different route from south to north. But the routes are not far apart, and they are permanent, they never change them. Any tribe has its own routes. Hawazma are mostly found in routes originating from Al Obeid
Al-Ubayyid
Al-Ubayyid , also spelled El Obeid, is the capital of the state of North Kurdufan in central Sudan. In 2008, its population was 340,940. It is an important transportation hub: the terminus of a rail line, the junction of various roads and camel caravan routes, and the end of a pilgrim route from...
city in North Kurdufan
North Kurdufan
North Kurdufan is one of the 15 wilayat or states of Sudan. It has an area of 185,302 km² and an estimated population of 2,529,370 . Al-Ubayyid is the capital of the state.North Kurdufan is generally arid and desert.- History :...
, through Deling city and its eastern part, Kadugli city and its eastern part, to Talodi
Talodi
Talodi is an ethnic group in the Nuba Mountains in Sudan. They speak Talodi, a Niger–Congo language. They likely number more than 1,000....
region. Messiria
Messiria
The Messiria known also under the name of Misseriya Arabs are a branch of the Baggara Arabs tribes. Their language is the Sudanese Arabic. Numbering over one million, the Baggara are the second largest people group in Western Sudan, extending into Eastern Chad. They are primarily nomadic cattle...
just borders them to the west. Humr borders Messiria to the west. And so forth.
Today the Hawazma in particular and Baggara in general bear little resemblance to Bedouin Arabs, due to their acclimatization and their inter-marriage with other African tribes. Many Hawazma subtribes have dark skin, and closely resemble Nuba tribes. And many members of these tribes speak Nuba dialects fluently. Still some tribe names indicate their mixed origins. Other Hawazma subtribes have preserved their Arabic features: light brown complexion, and thick eyebrows and lashes.
Socio-Ecnonomic Factors: Pastoralism and Agriculture
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
s or established villages from southern parts of Al Obeid city in Northern Kordofan to Talodi city in South Kordofan. Those who settled in northern border of South Kordofan or Southern border of North Kordofan are mostly Gumaiyya, including: Gumaiyya Kilaibab, Gumaiyya Al Hussienat, and Gumaiyya Matrafia, in addition to other Hawazma Oulad Gaboush and Dar Niayylie. These subtribes intermarried with Bidaria and Mosabaat and other Kordofanian tribes. Their lifestyle closely resembles the Kordofanian tribes. Mostly engaged in raising crops and cattle. Notably their Hawazma Arabic Accent is inclined to include Kordofanian Arabic accents. Similarly, they adopted a way of cultivation, crop tending, and harvesting similar to those other Kordofanian tribes. They used a long-sticked spade called Jarrieh and Saloqqa, they tend their farm while standing, not similar to those of Hawazma deep in South Kordofan who tend while they are sitting on their heels. Their crops include: millet, watermelon, groundnuts, sesame and hibiscus.
On the southern parts of South Kordofan, settled Hawazma Al Rawawqa. Al Rawawqa subtribe embodies large subsubtribal diversity. Among the most prevalent are Rawawqa Oulad Nuba. These are group of Hawazma who most resembles Nuba in most of their living habits and agricultural practices. They cultivate with Jarrieh a Nuba developed tool, tend while sitting on their heels. Mostly grow sorghum, sesame, and groundnuts and gather wild okra. Again these are among the most victimized Hawazma in the region.
On the eastern side of South Kordofan, lives Hawazma Darbettie, now separated from those living central South Kordofan, due to geographic distance.
On the western parts of South Kordofan, no Hawazma live their, it is found our cousins: Messiria
Messiria
The Messiria known also under the name of Misseriya Arabs are a branch of the Baggara Arabs tribes. Their language is the Sudanese Arabic. Numbering over one million, the Baggara are the second largest people group in Western Sudan, extending into Eastern Chad. They are primarily nomadic cattle...
, Humr, Rezeigat, Ta'isha and Habbaniya
Habbaniya
The Habbaniya, or Habbania, are a Sunni Muslim tribe of the nomadic Bedouin Baggara people in the plains of Sudan's Darfur, North Kurdufan, and South Kurdufan provinces....
. They have similar lifestyles as Hawazma, and only differentiated by their phonetic accents of Arabic language.
Hawazma People: Character, Appearance and Customes
Hawazma, like any other BaggaraBaggara
The Baggāra Arabs are a set of communities inhabiting the portion of Africa's Sahel between Lake Chad and southern Kordofan, numbering over one million. They have a common language which is one of the regional colloquial Arabic languages...
people, have graceful slim physical statues, their skins ranges from light brown to dark colors. Explorers to the region motioned that they have far better mental capabilities, wit and humor than any other African tribes around them; they have passion for life and collective life style. The men wear a white gown called Jallabiyya, white pants (Pajamas), a head cap called Tagia, a big white turbans called Eema and a locally made leather shoes called Marqoub. Always men of all ages carry knives, which worn on the forceps of the left arm & hidden in a decorated leather covering,carry sticks, spears, sometimes swords or big spears. The women wear a dress called Foustan, and cover their bodies with taubes such as Indian Sari. Young men wear eye-catching colored flashy shirts, shorts, pants, beads, necklaces, and bracelets. Young women wear Foustan during festivals and dancing to show their ornate braded hairs style.
Sociological Issues: Gender, Health and Education
Baggara are mostly illiterate. In the early days, they look to the school as a way to alienate their kids, to teach them moral delinquencies, to distract them from Baggara way of life: cattle herding and nomadic movement. Young Baggara look after cows daylong, they return to Baggara camp during evening times. Baggara lacks clean drinking water, health clinics, electricity, television, radio and other forms of media. Pregnant women rarely visit clinics or doctors. Female genital mutilation is common. Facial scarring called Shoulokh, lips sticking, and braided hair are usual practices among women.Women represent an important workforce; they milk cows, prepare meals, raise kids, market dairy products, build houses, and participate in crops cultivation. Baggara youth are cheerful group in the Baggara families; their main mental set to look for festivals, rituals, dancing gossip around for absentinence and only supervises young kids to range cattle. Men are completely idle during dry seasons, play Dala (sort of cards played with sticks) and coordinate the meager activity during summer such as delivering grains to mills and bringing the daily family grocery from women?s marketed-dairy-product money. Baggara raise huge herds, never for marketing, but for prestige. The wealth and prestige is determined by the size of one's herds. Women crush on those with large herds. Barbara Michael,,, work is a great contribution to the subject of Hawazma socio-enonomics.
Beginnings of conflict
Beginning in early 1983, radio broadcasts by South Sudanese rebels alarmed the people of South Kordofan and increased tensions in the area.Soon after, weapons started to appear on the black market. The military started recalling retirees and drafting young men for service. The weapons trade was flourishing with gun sellers roaming the Baggara villages and nomad camps. A young man without a machine gun was just like a woman. To be a man, you had to have a machine gun. The Baggara started to organize themselves as militia. The militiamen given themselves roles to protect the Baggara camps and fight to defend the villages.
Nomeri's regime began arming Messiria
Messiria
The Messiria known also under the name of Misseriya Arabs are a branch of the Baggara Arabs tribes. Their language is the Sudanese Arabic. Numbering over one million, the Baggara are the second largest people group in Western Sudan, extending into Eastern Chad. They are primarily nomadic cattle...
Zurug and Messiria
Messiria
The Messiria known also under the name of Misseriya Arabs are a branch of the Baggara Arabs tribes. Their language is the Sudanese Arabic. Numbering over one million, the Baggara are the second largest people group in Western Sudan, extending into Eastern Chad. They are primarily nomadic cattle...
Humr to balance the rebel attack on Abyei
Abyei
The Abyei Area is an area of in Sudan accorded "special administrative status" by the 2004 Protocol on the resolution of the Abyei conflict in the Comprehensive Peace Agreement that ended the Second Sudanese Civil War. The capital of Abyei Area is Abyei Town...
area. The rebels attacked a Chevron Oil Company
Chevron Corporation
Chevron Corporation is an American multinational energy corporation headquartered in San Ramon, California, United States and active in more than 180 countries. It is engaged in every aspect of the oil, gas, and geothermal energy industries, including exploration and production; refining,...
site, killing four Chevron employees. Also, they attacked the Baggara campuses to acquire cattle for food. Now the war completely broke at southwest of South Kordofan. By the end of Normeri's regime, in 1985, South Kordofan was in chaos although other parts of Kordofan were peaceful.
During, Al Sadiq Al Mahdi era, the Messiria
Messiria
The Messiria known also under the name of Misseriya Arabs are a branch of the Baggara Arabs tribes. Their language is the Sudanese Arabic. Numbering over one million, the Baggara are the second largest people group in Western Sudan, extending into Eastern Chad. They are primarily nomadic cattle...
Zurug and Messiria
Messiria
The Messiria known also under the name of Misseriya Arabs are a branch of the Baggara Arabs tribes. Their language is the Sudanese Arabic. Numbering over one million, the Baggara are the second largest people group in Western Sudan, extending into Eastern Chad. They are primarily nomadic cattle...
Humr were armored http://protection.unsudanig.org/data/south/papers/african_rights/2war, the paramilitary forces became legal and carrying weapons was legal. Everyone had AK-47
AK-47
The AK-47 is a selective-fire, gas-operated 7.62×39mm assault rifle, first developed in the Soviet Union by Mikhail Kalashnikov. It is officially known as Avtomat Kalashnikova . It is also known as a Kalashnikov, an "AK", or in Russian slang, Kalash.Design work on the AK-47 began in the last year...
machine gun. During this time rebels attacked the southern part of South Kordofan, especially Gardoud village, around Talodi city. The Baggara were heavily victimized in Gardoud; sixty Baggara were dead, 82 wounded; see the first Paragraph in this report http://protection.unsudanig.org/data/south/papers/african_rights/2war. Religious leaders and Imams, were publicly executed, women were raped, houses were burned and cattle herds were raided. South Kordofan now is a war zone. People evacuated the cities, traders stopped their trades, and all other tribes and ethnic groups not from South Kordofan left the region.
Civil War
In 1987, Yusif Kuwa Mekki entered South Kordofan as commander for the rebels http://protection.unsudanig.org/data/south/papers/african_rights/2war. Immediately war expanded to el Hamra, el Buram, Um Sirdiba and surrounding areas. Hawazma villages were systematically targeted by rebels, killing them as groups individuals or evacuate them completely as what was happened in Um Sirdiba. Africa Justice organization provided many reports documenting abuses by SPLA http://www.justiceafrica.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/fg_05_spla_record.pdf. These reports indicate the worse human rights situation in South Kordofan.In 1989, Al Boukhas village was completely destroyed and about 40 villages of Hawazma were either attacked or evacuated before the attack and the people left their possessions and crops. By the end of 1989, about 300,000 Baggara were either relocated to big cities or displaced and resettled on the northern border of South Kordofan. For six years, Kuwa war machines (six battalions) were directed to systematic torturing of Baggara tribes, completely destroying their infrastructures and eliminating their educated youth; leaders; and the elite. We have not seen any major attack on military compuses or major military strong hold places in South Kordofan. The war was directed toward Baggara tribesmens.
In January 1990 Abu Safifa village was burned to the ground. By February 1990, only Baggara men stayed on the villages while kids, women and the elderly were displaced or relocated. The war became ethnic cleansings against the Baggara, while the west still misleaded with the NGOs, which look after their religious and political agenda in South Kordofan desperate tribal wars. Rebel guerrilla fighters were looking for excitement in the news by destroying Baggara villages to show their presence, then escape to the mountains tops such as Morou Mountain or Tolishi Mountains.
Nuba militia fighters found a breeding ground in the presence of rebels fighters. Tarrevera militia fighters, from Morou, crossed the road for every vehicle; evacuating Baggara and executing them. They placed road mines and ambushed cars. When mines went off, they would attack; kill or loot goods and then they would escape to mountains or densely forested valleys.
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During the military regime of President Omar Hassan al-Bashir, which came to power in June 1989, by revolting against elected Prime Minister Sadiq Al Mahdi government, South Kordofan entered a new phase of the civil war. Islamic jihad war against infidels was completely the norm of life in South Kordofan. Religious decrees (Fatwas) were declared urging people to join the war http://protection.unsudanig.org/data/south/papers/african_rights/2war. Baggara are 100 percent Muslims and 75 percent of Nuba are Muslims. Then who was the Islamic war against? However, due to desperation of Baggara, following the unspeakable atrocities by rebels, they sided with the military forces to protect themselves. Soon, Yusuf Kuwa and rebels fighters realized the effect of Baggara on the war balance; basically attributed to their knowledge of the terrain and the intricacies of South Kordofan. The Baggara lead the government forces to caves and hiding places for the rebels. Rebels Commander Yusif Kuwa Mekki started to negotiate with Baggara http://www.ifaanet.org/ifaapr/nuba_conflict.htm, either to take side with him or at least to refrain from supporting the Government army against the rebels. Yusuf Kuwa successed in convening and writing many mutual agreements with local Baggara leaders.
Baggara held good to their agreements. This came to disadvantage the government. The government, thereafter, started a full swing against Baggara, who hold to their agreements by jailing, torturing or killing or forcing them to refrain from any agreements.
As of today, with peace agreement in progress, Baggara has nothing to negotiate. They were used, abused and victimized by the rebels and the Government forces. NGOs never came to Baggara villages to report the atrocities, and probably assumed not deserving any human rights.
External links
- African Justice interviewed Yousif Kuwa MekkiYousif Kuwa MekkiYousif Kuwa Mekki was a Sudanese revolutionary, rebel commander and politician.- Early life :Yousif Kuwa was born in 1945 at Jebel Miri, a locality in the Nuba Mountains of Central Sudan. A member of the Miri sub-tribe, he was named Kuwa after his father and Mekki after his grandfather. As with...
, he said, quote: "If you look at our soldiers, most of them are not educated and not politically conscious, so you should expect that if someone like this has a gun in his hand, he feels he is powerful and can do whatever he wants. And in fact specifically at the beginning of our entry in '89 a lot of soldiers started to rampage and to loot, and we started (to impose) very harsh punishments, even we (sent some to the)firing squad. We tried our best to stop that. Another time when we had hunger in '91-'92, some started to use their guns so they can acquire whatever [they need]. That is why we tried to politicise the soldiers. We try to tell them that it is not our purpose to come and loot our own people and harass them. Whoever does this will be punished. We gave them very harsh punishments" end quote. - http://protection.unsudanig.org/data/south/papers/african_rights/2war This link gives a comprehensive details to what had happened between 1985 - 1995 in South Kordofan, it made special emphasis to the atrocities happened to the NubaNubaNuba is a collective term used here for the peoples who inhabit the Nuba Mountains, in Sudan, Africa. Although the term is used to describe them as if they composed a single group, the Nuba are multiple distinct peoples and speak different languages...
related to MessiriaMessiriaThe Messiria known also under the name of Misseriya Arabs are a branch of the Baggara Arabs tribes. Their language is the Sudanese Arabic. Numbering over one million, the Baggara are the second largest people group in Western Sudan, extending into Eastern Chad. They are primarily nomadic cattle...
, although the bulk of SPLA force at that time was on the southern mountains where Hawazma lives, however, no reference to Hawazma casualties or involvement was cited, that was due to the fact that the Hawazma were not armed and had no effect on the SPLA, but that did not mean that they were not heavily trageted by the SPLA forces. The report speak to that effect. - http://www.ifaanet.org/ifaapr/nuba_conflict.htm Dr Mohamed Suliman, Chairman, Institute for African Alternatives, London, said in this link: "The BaggaraBaggaraThe Baggāra Arabs are a set of communities inhabiting the portion of Africa's Sahel between Lake Chad and southern Kordofan, numbering over one million. They have a common language which is one of the regional colloquial Arabic languages...
lost some of their traditional lands, many men, and animals. Their trade with the Nuba collapsed. Losses forced the BaggaraBaggaraThe Baggāra Arabs are a set of communities inhabiting the portion of Africa's Sahel between Lake Chad and southern Kordofan, numbering over one million. They have a common language which is one of the regional colloquial Arabic languages...
in several areas to negotiate peace with the Nuba". - http://www.ifaanet.org/ifaapr/nuba_conflict.htm Dr Mohamed Suliman, Chairman, Institute for African Alternatives, London, cited in the link: "Since 1993, several peace agreements have been reached between the NubaNubaNuba is a collective term used here for the peoples who inhabit the Nuba Mountains, in Sudan, Africa. Although the term is used to describe them as if they composed a single group, the Nuba are multiple distinct peoples and speak different languages...
and the BaggaraBaggaraThe Baggāra Arabs are a set of communities inhabiting the portion of Africa's Sahel between Lake Chad and southern Kordofan, numbering over one million. They have a common language which is one of the regional colloquial Arabic languages...
: the Buram agreement (1993), the Regifi agreement (1995), and the Kain agreement (1996)". These agreements were between the BaggaraBaggaraThe Baggāra Arabs are a set of communities inhabiting the portion of Africa's Sahel between Lake Chad and southern Kordofan, numbering over one million. They have a common language which is one of the regional colloquial Arabic languages...
and SPLA. The reasons behind these agreements were give in the article. - http://www.unicef.org/evaldatabase/files/2003_Sudan_rec_399436.pdf. UN Report. The report includes a section detailing the conflict between Hawazma and Nuba.