Hamid Dawai is an Emir of the

Arab The Arabs (singular: Arab; singular ar, عَرَبِيٌّ, DIN 31635: , , plural ar, عَرَب, DIN 31635: , Arabic pronunciation: ), also known as the Arab people, are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in Western Asia, ...

Awlad Rashed Tribe, and is a member of the

Janjaweed The Janjaweed ( ar, جنجويد, Janjawīd, lit=mounted gunman; also transliterated ''Janjawid'') are a Sudanese Arab militia group that operate in Sudan, particularly Darfur, and eastern Chad. Using the United Nations definition, the Janjaweed ...

militia in the far Western region of

Darfur Darfur ( ; ar, دار فور, Dār Fūr, lit=Realm of the Fur) is a region of western Sudan. ''Dār'' is an Arabic word meaning "home f – the region was named Dardaju ( ar, دار داجو, Dār Dājū, links=no) while ruled by the Daju, ...

along the border with

Chad Chad (; ar, تشاد , ; french: Tchad, ), officially the Republic of Chad, '; ) is a landlocked country at the crossroads of North and Central Africa. It is bordered by Libya to the north, Sudan to the east, the Central African Republic ...

. He is linked to the civilian deaths of 460 people and has been described as a

war War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militias. It is generally characterized by extreme violence, destruction, and mortality, using regular o ...

criminal for government crimes in the

Darfur conflict The War in Darfur, also nicknamed the Land Cruiser War, is a major armed conflict in the Darfur region of Sudan that began in February 2003 when the Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM) and the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) rebel groups be ...

, which are claimed to involve genocide, rape, and torture.Faces of Genocide in Darfur: Hamid Dawai - Center on Law & Globalization
/ref> Dawai's brother; Hasballa Dawai, was killed when he was stabbed in the neck with a spear by an African villager when forces under Dawai's command attacked a village in July 2002. Because of his role in the Darfur conflict, Dawai has become well known amongst

Masalit The Masalit (Masalit language, Masalit: ''masala/masara''; ar, ماساليت) are an ethnic group inhabiting western Sudan and eastern Chad. They speak the Masalit language Overview The Masalit primarily live in Geneina, the capital of west Darfu ...

refugees.

Role in the Darfur Conflict

Cooperation with the Sudanese Government

Dawai is alleged to have a close working relationship with the Sudanese Government. In July 2003 Dawai is alleged to have met with

Musa Hilal Musa Hilal ( ar, موسى هلال, Mūsa Hilāl) is a Sudanese Arab tribal chief and militia leader and adviser to the Sudanese Minister of Internal Affairs. His Um Jalul clan exercised tribal leadership of the Arab Mahamid tribe in Darfur. The ...

, a major Janjaweed leader, and then left the meeting in a helicopter with

Ahmed Haroun Ahmed Mohammed Haroun (also spelled Ahmad Harun, ar, أحمد هارون; born 1964) is one of five Sudanese men International Criminal Court investigation in Darfur, wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for war crimes and crimes ag ...

, the Darfur Security Desk Minister. From Harun's helicopter, Dawai was able to give the government minister an birds-eye-view of the destruction Dawai's forces had caused. Dawai's forces were responsible for the destruction of numerous villages and had turned the area of West Darfur near the Chad border into a no-man's land. Dawai also received weapons, vehicles, and communications equipment from the Sudanese government. Two Lieutenants, one from the Sudanese National Police and one from the Sudanese Army, were brought in to help advise and coordinate Dawai's forces. Dawai's forces have then gone on to carry out attacks in conjunction with Sudanese Government forces.

Racism

The attacks orchestrated by forces under Dawai's control are alleged to have a strong racial element, with the Janjaweed attempting to exterminate Black Africa tribes. Janjaweed under Dawai's command are alleged to have shouted "Kill the Nuba" and chanted “Nuba, Nuba, out, out!” Nuba is a term used by Arabs meaning black slaves.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dawai, Hamid War in Darfur Arabs in Sudan Year of birth missing (living people) Living people