Beni Halba
Encyclopedia
The Beni Halba is an Arab
group located in the western Sudan
ese region of Darfur
. The Beni Halba is one of the major Darfuri Baggara
groups, along with the Habbaniya
, Rizeigat
and Ta’isha
, and was granted a large hakura (land grant) in southern Darfur by the sultan
s of independent Dar Fur. During the 1980s, recurring drought
in Chad
prompted several clans of Beni Halba to migrate eastwards and join their kinspeople between Geneina
and Kebkabiya and Kutum
. In the late 1980s, the ideology then sweeping through the region combining Arab supremacy and Islamic extremism
was taken up by many Beni Halba. Under Nazir
al-Hadi Issa Debaker, the Beni Halba were actively involved in attacks upon the Fur people
starting in 1987 through 1989. In this period a new militia called the Janjaweed
, partially drawing upon the Beni Halba, was first formed. In 1991 the Sudan People's Liberation Army
, then fighting the Second Sudanese Civil War
in the south of the country, sent a force under Daud Bolad
to expand the conflict into Darfur. However, Bolad's force was annihilated by a combination of the army and Beni Halba fursan ("horsemen"), who then carried out reprisal attacks against Fur civilians. As a result, the Beni Halba district town of Idd al Ghanam ("Well of Goats") was renamed Idd al Fursan ("Well of Horseman").
As the Darfur conflict
erupted in the beginning of the 2000s, the Sudanese government attempted to convince al-Hadi Issa Debaker to merge his Beni Halba with the Janjaweed. Debaker refused, stating that he would defend himself if attacked on Beni Halba land. Regardless, members of the Beni Halba and other Baggara groups continue to be recruited into the Janjaweed.
Arab
Arab people, also known as Arabs , are a panethnicity primarily living in the Arab world, which is located in Western Asia and North Africa. They are identified as such on one or more of genealogical, linguistic, or cultural grounds, with tribal affiliations, and intra-tribal relationships playing...
group located in the western Sudan
Sudan
Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
ese region of Darfur
Darfur
Darfur is a region in western Sudan. An independent sultanate for several hundred years, it was incorporated into Sudan by Anglo-Egyptian forces in 1916. The region is divided into three federal states: West Darfur, South Darfur, and North Darfur...
. The Beni Halba is one of the major Darfuri Baggara
Baggara
The Baggāra Arabs are a set of communities inhabiting the portion of Africa's Sahel between Lake Chad and southern Kordofan, numbering over one million. They have a common language which is one of the regional colloquial Arabic languages...
groups, along with the Habbaniya
Habbaniya
The Habbaniya, or Habbania, are a Sunni Muslim tribe of the nomadic Bedouin Baggara people in the plains of Sudan's Darfur, North Kurdufan, and South Kurdufan provinces....
, Rizeigat
Rizeigat
The Rizeigat, or Rizigat, or Rezeigat are a Muslim and Arabic tribe of the nomadic Bedouin Baggara people in Sudan's Darfur region. The Rizeigat belong to the greater Baggara Arabs fraternity of Darfur and Kordofan and speak Sudanese Arabic...
and Ta’isha
Ta’isha
Ta’isha is one of the Baqqara tribes, these nomads originated from the Guhayna group, a clan of Bedouin Arabs who came across the Sinai Peninsula from Arabia. They eventually moved into the Nile region of Upper Egypt and then into Sudan in the beginning of the 16 century around 1504. They settled...
, and was granted a large hakura (land grant) in southern Darfur by the sultan
Sultan
Sultan is a title with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic language abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", and "dictatorship", derived from the masdar سلطة , meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it came to be used as the title of certain rulers who...
s of independent Dar Fur. During the 1980s, recurring drought
Drought
A drought is an extended period of months or years when a region notes a deficiency in its water supply. Generally, this occurs when a region receives consistently below average precipitation. It can have a substantial impact on the ecosystem and agriculture of the affected region...
in Chad
Chad
Chad , officially known as the Republic of Chad, is a landlocked country in Central Africa. It is bordered by Libya to the north, Sudan to the east, the Central African Republic to the south, Cameroon and Nigeria to the southwest, and Niger to the west...
prompted several clans of Beni Halba to migrate eastwards and join their kinspeople between Geneina
Geneina
Geneina is the capital of West Darfur state in Sudan....
and Kebkabiya and Kutum
Kutum
Kutum is a town in the Sudanese state of North Darfur. It lies northwest of the state capital, Al-Fashir. The town is located along a wadi and therefore also known as Wadi Kutum. It lies north along the Marrah Mountains; the Kutum volcanic field is better known as the Tagabo Hills. As of 2006,...
. In the late 1980s, the ideology then sweeping through the region combining Arab supremacy and Islamic extremism
Islamic extremism
Islamic extremism refers to two related and partially overlapping but also distinct aspects of extremist interpretations and pursuits of Islamic ideology:...
was taken up by many Beni Halba. Under Nazir
Nazir
-Given name:* Nazeer Abbasi , Sindhi political activist* Nazeer Akbarabadi, 18th-century Urdu poet* Nazeer Allie , South African footballer* Nazeer Naji, Pakistani journalist* Nazir Ahmed...
al-Hadi Issa Debaker, the Beni Halba were actively involved in attacks upon the Fur people
Fur people
The Fur are an ethnic group from western Sudan, principally inhabiting the region of Darfur where they are the largest tribe....
starting in 1987 through 1989. In this period a new militia called the Janjaweed
Janjaweed
The Janjaweed is a blanket term used to describe mostly gunmen in Darfur, western Sudan, and now eastern Chad...
, partially drawing upon the Beni Halba, was first formed. In 1991 the Sudan People's Liberation Army
Sudan People's Liberation Army
The Sudan People's Liberation Movement is a political party in South Sudan. It was initially founded as a rebel political movement with a military wing known as the Sudan People's Liberation Army estimated at 180,000 soldiers. The SPLM fought in the Second Sudanese Civil War against the Sudanese...
, then fighting the Second Sudanese Civil War
Second Sudanese Civil War
The Second Sudanese Civil War started in 1983, although it was largely a continuation of the First Sudanese Civil War of 1955 to 1972. Although it originated in southern Sudan, the civil war spread to the Nuba mountains and Blue Nile by the end of the 1980s....
in the south of the country, sent a force under Daud Bolad
Daud Bolad
Daud Yahya Ibrahim Bolad was a Sudanese politician and rebel leader. He came from the Fur people of the Darfur region of the country. In the early 1970s, Bolad was nominated by the Islamist National Islamic Front to be the president of the Khartoum University Students Union...
to expand the conflict into Darfur. However, Bolad's force was annihilated by a combination of the army and Beni Halba fursan ("horsemen"), who then carried out reprisal attacks against Fur civilians. As a result, the Beni Halba district town of Idd al Ghanam ("Well of Goats") was renamed Idd al Fursan ("Well of Horseman").
As the Darfur conflict
Darfur conflict
The Darfur Conflict was a guerrilla conflict or civil war centered on the Darfur region of Sudan. It began in February 2003 when the Sudan Liberation Movement/Army and Justice and Equality Movement groups in Darfur took up arms, accusing the Sudanese government of oppressing non-Arab Sudanese in...
erupted in the beginning of the 2000s, the Sudanese government attempted to convince al-Hadi Issa Debaker to merge his Beni Halba with the Janjaweed. Debaker refused, stating that he would defend himself if attacked on Beni Halba land. Regardless, members of the Beni Halba and other Baggara groups continue to be recruited into the Janjaweed.