SUMMARY

The Mahadi is an Arab minority tribal group in Sudan. The group mainly inhabits the West and South Darfur states, and is led by a local nazir (chief). The Mahadi tribe belongs to the confederation of the Northern Rizeigat, which is described as the only group in the Darfur region which is still practicing nomadic camel-based pastoralism and adheres to seasonal migratory movement. However, the Mahadi tribe is described both as nomadic and sedentary. It thus remains unclear whether these contradictory traits describe regional variation within the group's constituencies, or if the group as a whole could be seen as ascribing more to one of the two over-arching group characteristics. Furthermore, the Rizeigat ethnic group is divided into camel herders (Abbala) and cattle herders (Baggara). The Mahadi tribe appears to belong to the former of these two groups.