Table of Contents
What does Janjaweed mean?
The Janjaweed (Arabic: جنجويد, romanized: Janjawīd; also transliterated Janjawid) (English: mounted gunman) are a militia group that operate in western Sudan and eastern Chad. They are currently in conflict with Darfur rebel groups—the Sudan Liberation Movement/Army and the Justice and Equality Movement.
Who created the Janjaweed?
Mohammed Ahmed Mustafa al-Dabi
Janjaweed/Founders
Is Darfur a country?
The Darfur region lies in the western part of the Sudan (Africa’s largest country), near the borders with Libya, Chad, and Central African Republic. The population of Darfur was estimated in 2002 at about six million, eighty percent of whom live in the rural areas.
Where did the Janjaweed get their name from?
Written By: Janjaweed, also spelled Janjawid, Arab militia active in Sudan, particularly in the Darfur region. The militia’s name is thought by many to be derived from the Arabic jinnī (spirit) and jawad (horse), although its etymological origins are not completely clear.
What did the Janjaweed do in Darfur war?
Throughout the 1990s, the Janjaweed were Arab partisans, tolerated by the Sudan Government, who pursued local agendas of controlling land. The majority of Darfur’s Arabs, the Baggara confederation, began their presence in the war over grazing territory, and remain involved.
Who are the leaders of the Janjaweed movement?
Other sources suggest its origin comes from the Persian word جنگوی jangavi, meaning “warrior”, or a portmanteau of three words: جَن jan, after English “gun”; jinn; and ʾajāwīd. General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, also known as “Hemeti”, is one of the leaders of the Janjaweed.
Who are the Janjaweed militias in South Sudan?
A guide to the Sudanese militiamen. Much of the violence in Sudan, which has created over 1 million refugees, has been attributed to militias known as the Janjaweed. Who are the Janjaweed? The word, an Arabic colloquialism, means “a man with a gun on a horse.”