Document #1049368
IRB – Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (Author)
The Bagara (or Baqqarah), a group of Muslim
cattlemen who claim Arabic descent, moved into the Sudanese region
at the end of the 18th century. [ The Encyclopaedia
Britannica, Macropaedia vol. 28, (Chicago et al.: Encyclopaedia
Britannica, 1989), p. 265.] The Bagara have been thoroughly
arabized and now speak no other language than Arabic. [ Ibid, p.
270.]
The Shilluks (or Shillouks) of Sudan are
Western Nilotes and predominantly pastoral. [ Johnson D.H. The
Southern Sudan, (London: Minority Rights Group, 1988), p. 4.]
Since the 1960s, the worsening of civil war brought many Shilluks
into guerilla forces. [ Ibid, p. 7.]
Historically, the conflict between Arabs
and Blacks has resulted in bloody inter-ethnic opposition. [
Kurian, G.T. Encyclopedia of the Third World, vol.III, (New
York and Oxford: Facts on File, 1987), p. 1835.] Massacres of
Christian Southerners and slave-trading of youths from the South by
Arab militias have been widespread in the country and are
reportedly supported by the government. [ Johnson, ibid, p. 10.] In
the village of Ed Daien in March 1987, Bagara Arab militias
massacred more than 1,500 Dinkas, another Nilotic group who lives
in close proximity with the Shilluks. [ Legum C. ed., Africa
Contemporary Record 1986-1987, (New York and London: Africana,
1988), p. B582.] In Malakal, about 500 women and children were
reportedly kidnapped (probably for slave-trading). [ Ibid, p.
B585.] In 1986 and 1987, civilian aircrafts leaving from Malakal,
the main city of Shilluk-land, were shot down by the armed forces.
[ Ibid.]
Arabic tribes are located mostly in Central
and Northern Sudan, around Khartoum, but their nomadic activities
and political supremacy also brought them throughout the country. [
Gèze F. et al., eds., L'état du monde 1985,
(Paris and Montréal: La Découverte and Boréal,
1986), p. 335.] The Shilluks are located along the Nile river South
of Khartoum around the town of Malakal. [ Ibid.]
The only ethnographic data we possess on
Sudan indicates that among the Bagara, "blood feuds occur between
segments and are settled by payment of blood money". [ The
Encyclopaedia Britannica, ibid, p. 270.] No more information
concerning the persecution of the second son of one of the tribes
is available at the IRBDC at the present time. The reading of the
section "Traditional Cultures" attached, however, demonstrates the
diversity of Sudanese customs. [ Ibid, p. 265-272.]
22 December 1989
Sudan
Information on the "Bugara" and "Shoulk" tribes in Sudan
(confrontation between them, location of these tribes, persecution
of the second child).
From:
Immigration and Refugee Board Documentation
Centre (IRBDC) Ottawa
Keywords:
Sudan / ethnic and national groups / tribal
peoples / interethnic relations
The Bagara (or Baqqarah), a group of Muslim
cattlemen who claim Arabic descent, moved into the Sudanese region
at the end of the 18th century [ The Encyclopaedia
Britannica, Macropaedia vol. 28, (Chicago et al.: Encyclopaedia
Britannica, 1989), p. 265.]. The Bagara have been thoroughly
arabized and now speak no other language than Arabic [ Ibid, p.
270.].
The Shilluks (or Shillouks) of Sudan are
Western Nilotes and predominantly pastoral [ Johnson D.H. The
Southern Sudan, (London: Minority Rights Group, 1988), p. 4.].
Since the 1960s, the worsening of civil war brought many Shilluks
into guerilla forces [ Ibid, p. 7.].
Historically, the conflict between Arabs
and Blacks have led to bloody inter-ethnic opposition [ Kurian,
G.T. Encyclopedia of the Third World, vol.III, (New York and
Oxford: Facts on File, 1987), p. 1835.]. Massacres of Christian
Southerners and slave-trading of youths from the South by Arab
militias have been widespread in the country and are reportedly
supported by the government [ Johnson, ibid, p. 10.]. In the
village of Ed Daien in March 1987, Bagara Arab militias massacred
more than 1,500 Dinkas, another Nilotic group who lives in close
proximity with the Shilluks [ Legum C. ed., Africa Contemporary
Record 1986-1987, (New York and London: Africana, 1988), p.
B582.]. In Malakal, about 500 women and children have been
kidnapped (probably for slave-trading) [Ibid, p. B585.]. In 1986
and 1987, civilian aircrafts leaving from Malakal, the main city of
Shilluk-land, were shot down by the armed forces [ Ibid.].
Arabic tribes are located mostly in Central
and Northern Sudan, around Khartoum, but their nomadic activities
and political supremacy also brought them throughout the country
[Gèze F. et al., eds., L'état du monde 1985,
(Paris and Montréal: La Découverte and Boréal,
1986), p. 335.]. The Shilluks are located along the Nile river
South of Khartoum around the town of Malakal [ Ibid.].
The only ethnographic data we possess on
Sudan indicates that among the Bagara, "blood feuds occur between
segments and are settled by payment of blood money" [ The
Encyclopaedia Britannica, ibid, p. 270.]. No more information
concerning the persecution of the second son of one of the tribes
is available at the IRBDC at the present time. The reading of the
section "Traditional Cultures" attached, however, demonstrates the
wide variety of extraneous customs possible in the Sudan [Ibid, p.
265-272.].
(SEN) Senegal / Sénégal