Messiria tribe
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The Messiria (), known also under the name of Misseriya Arabs, are a branch of the Baggara ethnic grouping of
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, ...
tribes.Adam, Biraima M. 2012. Baggara of Sudan: Culture and Environment, Amazon online Books
''Baggara of Sudan: Culture and Environment''
/ref> Their language is the
Sudanese Arabic Sudanese Arabic, also referred to as the Sudanese dialect (), Colloquial Sudanese () or locally as Common Sudanese () refers to the various related varieties of Arabic spoken in Sudan as well as parts of Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, and Chad. Sudane ...
. Numbering over one million, the Baggara are the second largest ethnic group in Western Sudan, extending into Eastern Chad. They are primarily nomadic cattle herders and their journeys are dependent upon the seasons of the year. The use of the term Baggara carries negative connotations as slave raiders, so they prefer to be called instead Messiria.


Geography of Messiria Country (Dar Al Messiria)

The term ''Dar'' means land or location. The word ''Al'' or ''al'' and sometimes ''El'' or ''el'' corresponds to the definite article ''The'' in English. The term ''Dar Al Messiria'' means ''the land or location of the Messiria''. According to Ian Cunnison 1966,Ian Cunnison, 1966, Baggara Arabs, Power and the lineage in a Sudanese Nomad Tribe, Clarendon Press, Oxford, pages: 1–3 the Arab nomads of the
Sudan Sudan ( or ; ar, السودان, as-Sūdān, officially the Republic of the Sudan ( ar, جمهورية السودان, link=no, Jumhūriyyat as-Sūdān), is a country in Northeast Africa. It shares borders with the Central African Republic t ...
and
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 ...
republics are of two kinds: camelmen (called
Abbala The Abbala people are an Arab ethnic group of the Sahel located in Sudan and Chad. The Abbala are named after their subsistence practice of camel herding. The term "Abbala" is mostly used in Sudan to distinguish them from the Baggara, a group ...
) and cattlemen (called Baggara). the Term Baggara means simply cowman but the Sudanese apply the word particularly to the nomadic cattlemen, who span the belt of savanna between
Lake Chad Lake Chad (french: Lac Tchad) is a historically large, shallow, endorheic lake in Central Africa, which has varied in size over the centuries. According to the ''Global Resource Information Database'' of the United Nations Environment Programme, ...
and the
White Nile The White Nile ( ar, النيل الأبيض ') is a river in Africa, one of the two main tributaries of the Nile, the other being the Blue Nile. The name comes from the clay sediment carried in the water that changes the water to a pale color. ...
. This belt of territory has. been the homeland of the Baggara people for centuries. Ian Cunnison, referenced above said "History and environment together throw light on their distribution". In Sudan, while the
Abbala The Abbala people are an Arab ethnic group of the Sahel located in Sudan and Chad. The Abbala are named after their subsistence practice of camel herding. The term "Abbala" is mostly used in Sudan to distinguish them from the Baggara, a group ...
live in the semi-desert part of the region: northern Kordofan and
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, ...
, the Baggara, by contrast, live on their southern fringes; occupying the area roughly south of 12 degrees north and extending well into flood basins of the White Nile to the south. In general the Dar Al Messiria or their zones can be divided into three areas:
1.1. Dar Al Messiria in Kordofan, Sudan.
1.2. Dar Al Messiria in
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, ...
, Sudan.
1.3. Dar Al Messiria in
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 ...
. The Messiria in the three different zones have been separated for so long that they have developed localized cultural and social differences. The Messiria in Kordofan know little if anything about the Messiria in
Dar Fur Darfur ( ; ar, دار فور, Dār Fūr, lit=Realm of the Fur people, 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 rule ...
and
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 ...
, but they belong to the same tribe and they have similar subtribal divisions and diversities.


Dar Al Messiria in Kordofan, Sudan

In Kordofan, the Messiria occupies the area historically known as West Kordofan, among their well known locations are:
Abyei The Abyei Area ( ar, منطقة أبيي) is an area of on the border between South Sudan and the Sudan that has been accorded "special administrative status" by the 2004 Protocol on the Resolution of the Abyei Conflict (Abyei Protocol) in ...
, Babanousa, El Muglad, Lagawa,
El Mairam EL, El or el may refer to: Religion * El (deity), a Semitic word for "God" People * EL (rapper) (born 1983), stage name of Elorm Adablah, a Ghanaian rapper and sound engineer * El DeBarge, music artist * El Franco Lee (1949–2016), American po ...
, and Lake Kailak.


Messiria Divisions in Kordofan

The main divisions of Messiria in Kordofan are ''Messiria Zurug''; literally the name means ''The dark ones'' and '' Messiria Humr''; means ''The red ones''. These names: ''Zurug'' and '' Humr'' do ''not'' mean in any way that the ''Zurug'' are darker in skin color than ''Humr'', but most likely the ''Humr'' are darker than ''Zurug'' ones. According to MacMichael, 1967:Harold Alfred MacMichael, 1967, The Tribes of Northern and Central Kordofán, Published by Cass, , , 260 pages. The two divisions have become so distinct that the ''Humr'' have ceased to rate themselves ''Messiria''. However, in
Sudan Sudan ( or ; ar, السودان, as-Sūdān, officially the Republic of the Sudan ( ar, جمهورية السودان, link=no, Jumhūriyyat as-Sūdān), is a country in Northeast Africa. It shares borders with the Central African Republic t ...
today, still they are called ''Messiria Humr'' and ''Messiria Zurug'' and still they acknowledge their common history and ancestry. The Messiria Humr pastoralists migrate across the four regions of their homeland ("Dar el Humr“):
Babanusa Babanusa is a town in western Sudan. History In 1965, 72 Dinka civilians were massacred in the town by an Arab mob during the First Sudanese Civil War. Climate Transport It is a railway junction on the national railway network where the ...
, Muglad, Goz and Bahr el Arab. *Messiria Zurug – According to MacMichael, 1967 the ''Messiria Zurug'' have the following divisions:
A – ''Awlád Um Sálim''
B – ''El Ghazáya''
C – ''El Diráwi''
D – ''El Enenát''
E – ''Awlá Abu Na'amán''
F – ''El Zurug''
G – ''Awlád Haybán'' Still there subtribal divisions with each subtribes.
* Messiria Humr – According to Ian Cunnison, 1966: The '' Humr'' are divided into:
A —Ajaira'':
1. ''Fayyarin''
2. ''Awlád Kamil''
3. ''Mezaghna''
4. ''Fadliya''
5. ''Menama''
6. Addal''
B – ''Felaita'':
1. ''Metanin''
2. ''Ziyud''
3. ''Awlád Serur''
4. ''Jubarat''
5. ''Salamat''


Dar Al Messiria in Darfur, Sudan

The area known as Nitega (''نتيقة'') is the mainland of the Messiria in
Dar Fur Darfur ( ; ar, دار فور, Dār Fūr, lit=Realm of the Fur people, 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 rule ...
, among the landmarks in the area is the Mountain Karou (''جبل كرو'').


Second Sudanese Civil War: 1983–2005


Background of the conflict

The Misseriyya mostly live around Kordofan and migrate south into the Dinka territory. They are marginally represented in
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, ...
and there they live a semi-sedentary life. The Misseriyya was once a larger group, but fragmented into smaller groups over time.Flint, J. and Alex de Waal, 2008 (2nd Edn), Darfur: A new History of a Long War, Zed Books. The location of Messiria of Kordofan is at the border zone between
Sudan Sudan ( or ; ar, السودان, as-Sūdān, officially the Republic of the Sudan ( ar, جمهورية السودان, link=no, Jumhūriyyat as-Sūdān), is a country in Northeast Africa. It shares borders with the Central African Republic t ...
and Southern Sudan, specially the southern Fringes of their nomadic zone. The
Abyei The Abyei Area ( ar, منطقة أبيي) is an area of on the border between South Sudan and the Sudan that has been accorded "special administrative status" by the 2004 Protocol on the Resolution of the Abyei Conflict (Abyei Protocol) in ...
area is claimed by Messira as well as by Ngok Dinka, to be theirs. While the Messiria are Baggara Arabs,
Sunni Muslims Sunni Islam () is the largest branch of Islam, followed by 85–90% of the world's Muslims. Its name comes from the word '' Sunnah'', referring to the tradition of Muhammad. The differences between Sunni and Shia Muslims arose from a disagr ...
and identified as Northerners, on the other hand, Ngok Dinka are Southerners and identified as
Africans African or Africans may refer to: * Anything from or pertaining to the continent of Africa: ** People who are native to Africa, descendants of natives of Africa, or individuals who trace their ancestry to indigenous inhabitants of Africa *** Ethn ...
either Christians or Animists. Henderson, MacMichael and Ian Cunnison all attest the presence of Messiria in the eighteenth century. Similar history is also available for the nine Ngok Dinka chiefdoms on the same area. Being both
nomads A nomad is a member of a community without fixed habitation who regularly moves to and from the same areas. Such groups include hunter-gatherers, pastoral nomads (owning livestock), tinkers and trader nomads. In the twentieth century, the popu ...
, The Messiria and Dinka coexisted for long time and shared the grazing resources. Those Messiria who have most contact with Ngok Dinka are the Messiria Humr. The Messiria Zurug share most of their land with the Nuba tribes, along the western sides of the national highway connecting Deling city to
Kadugli Kaduqli or Kadugli ( ar, كادوقلي '   Sudanese pronunciation: ) is the capital city of South Kordofan State, Sudan. It is located south of El-Obeid, at the northern edge of the White Nile plain in the Nuba Mountains. It contains Hi ...
; the capital city of South Kordofan and extending to Talodi city. On the eastern side of this national highway found the
Hawazma Hawazma, part of Sudan's Baggara tribe, are cattle herders 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 nomadic movement, the Hawazma know ...
tribes sharing the land also with the Nuba tribes. The Nuba are indigenous
Africans African or Africans may refer to: * Anything from or pertaining to the continent of Africa: ** People who are native to Africa, descendants of natives of Africa, or individuals who trace their ancestry to indigenous inhabitants of Africa *** Ethn ...
inhabiting the area known as Nuba Mountains of
Southern Kordofan South Kordofan ( ar, جنوب كردفان ') is one of the 18 wilayat or states of Sudan. It has an area of 158,355 km² and an estimated population of approximately 1,100,000 people (2000).Sunni Muslims Sunni Islam () is the largest branch of Islam, followed by 85–90% of the world's Muslims. Its name comes from the word '' Sunnah'', referring to the tradition of Muhammad. The differences between Sunni and Shia Muslims arose from a disagr ...
. Both Nuba and Dinka are sided with Southern Rebels ( SPLA/
SPLM The Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM; ar, الحركة الشعبية لتحرير السودان, ''Al-Ḥarakat ash-Shaʿbiyyat liTaḥrīr as-Sūdān'') is a political party in South Sudan. It was initially founded as the political w ...
) during the civil war, while Messiria and
Hawazma Hawazma, part of Sudan's Baggara tribe, are cattle herders 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 nomadic movement, the Hawazma know ...
sided with Sudanese Government.


Historical grazing disputes

During the dry season the Misseriya migrate to the river Kiir in Abyei. They call the region the Bahr Al Arab. Both branches of Messiria, the Humr and the Zurug, are involved in historical grazing disputes and isolated fights along their southern borders, either with Dinka,
Nuer Nuer may refer to: * Nuer people * Nuer language The Nuer language (Thok Naath) ("people's language") is a Nilotic language of the Western Nilotic group. It is spoken by the Nuer people of South Sudan and in western Ethiopia (region of Gamb ...
or Nuba over grazing and water resources. The traditional fighting was intensified during the first Southern guerrilla’s fighting, called
Anyanya The Anyanya (also Anya-Nya) were a southern Sudanese separatist rebel army formed during the First Sudanese Civil War (1955–1972). A separate movement that rose during the Second Sudanese Civil War were, in turn, called Anyanya II. ''Anyanya'' ...
, in 1964 when a whole Messiria nomad camp around lake Abyyad was massacred in a terrible human slaughter by
Anyanya The Anyanya (also Anya-Nya) were a southern Sudanese separatist rebel army formed during the First Sudanese Civil War (1955–1972). A separate movement that rose during the Second Sudanese Civil War were, in turn, called Anyanya II. ''Anyanya'' ...
fighters, none were spared including children, elderly and brides; many Messiria were abducted and women were raped by the rebels. The Messiria retaliated with a sequence of attacks targeting Southern villages and nomadic camps; they abducted children and raided cattle. At the time, the abductions and retaliations became the norm in the region, but, mostly children and cattle were retrieved by local authorities and the spirit and will of coexistence always prevailed. Such targeting of
Anyanya The Anyanya (also Anya-Nya) were a southern Sudanese separatist rebel army formed during the First Sudanese Civil War (1955–1972). A separate movement that rose during the Second Sudanese Civil War were, in turn, called Anyanya II. ''Anyanya'' ...
fighters on Messiria nomads lead to Messiria starting to accumulate weaponry to counterbalance the rebel fighters' force. Earlier incidents in the early eighteenth century during British rule, had led to both
Hawazma Hawazma, part of Sudan's Baggara tribe, are cattle herders 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 nomadic movement, the Hawazma know ...
and Messiria taking up arms. In around 1908, the British armed the Nuba to fight against the expansion of the Northern Arabs in the region. Weapons, known locally as Marmatoun and Ab’gikra, were as common among Nuba as AK-47 among Baggara Arabs today. All these indicate that the ingredients of ethnic war already exist in the region and the new SPLA war was just an ignition of an existing ethnic chasm in the area. In
Abyei The Abyei Area ( ar, منطقة أبيي) is an area of on the border between South Sudan and the Sudan that has been accorded "special administrative status" by the 2004 Protocol on the Resolution of the Abyei Conflict (Abyei Protocol) in ...
the Dinka Ngok and Misseryia are engaged in territorial disputes.


The Civil War

See the Civil War under
Hawazma Hawazma, part of Sudan's Baggara tribe, are cattle herders 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 nomadic movement, the Hawazma know ...
. The Messiria are the first Northern tribes and the first Baggara tribes to suffer from the Southern war. The Sudanese government gave the Misseriya Arab militia machine guns and ordered them to drive the Nilotic peoples from the Western Upper Nile oil region. They successfully took the Luk Nuer in Bentiu and Eastern
Jikany Nuer The Jikany Nuer are a section of the Nuer people who mainly live in the eastern part of Upper Nile state in South Sudan, particularly around Nasir in Nasir County. Civil war During the Second Sudanese Civil War (1983–2005), between 1993 and 20 ...
in 1984.
Richard Crockett Richard DeHart Crockett (February 27, 1915 – January 25, 1979) was an American television and film actor, stunt performer, stunt coordinator, producer, and director, best known for his work with director Blake Edwards. Career The first film ...
2010.Yale University Press Sudan Darfur and the Failure of an African State


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Messiria Tribe Baggara tribes