SUMMARY

The Zaghawa refer to themselves as Beri, but was given the name Zaghawa by their Arab-speaking neighbours. The group speaks the Zaghawa language, and are scattered around the central African countries of Chad, Sudan and Niger. The group is estimated to number around 170,000. The Zaghawa are a Saharan people, with their traditional homeland being located at the border between Chad and Sudan. The group lives on the edge of the Sahara desert, having migrated as the desert has expanded.

Zaghawa history dates back to the seventh century, and hence they are an ancient society. Historically the group has had its own kingdom, which was later separated into smaller entities. In the past the Zaghawa have had their own religion, but with the introduction of Islam in the 1600’s most of the Zaghawa converted to Islam. Some still, however, practice traditional religion. The Zaghawa group is not a strictly united entity, but instead a confederation of highly individualized clans with separate habits but connected by the region they live in. The Zaghawa are mainly nomadic in terms of lifestyle but this is often combined with agricultural practices, with some having cultivation of crops as the main subsistence activity. The Chadian president Idriss Debý, as well as prominent Darfurian rebel leaders such as Khalil Ibrahim (JEM) and Mini Minawi (SLM/MM), are from the Zaghawa ethnic group.

The Zaghawa group has been involved in the non-state category of UCDP organised violence.