| Name assigned by coder: |
no
|
| PGM ID Number: |
257
|
| Country: |
Sudan |
| Date formed: |
May 24, 1986 |
| Details of Formation: |
- in 1986, the Sudanese government increasingly started to support the armed militias of the Arab Baqqarah people (called Murahaleen) against the SPLM/A in Southern Sudan. |
| Date dissolved: |
Jan. 1, 1989 |
| Details of Termination: |
In 1989, the Murahaleen were incorporated into the Popular Defence Forces (PDF). To avoid double counting included under PDF from 1989, but some evidence continues to refer to Murahaleen. |
| Successor group(s): |
none
|
| Private Military Company? |
no |
| Government Relation: |
informal (type 1) |
| Government Link(s): |
state/military institution
|
| Training and Equipment |
no information |
| Shared Information and Joint Operations |
no information |
| Shared personnel |
no |
| Types of Material Support: |
domestic government; plunder and loot
|
| State Sponsor(s): |
none
|
| Other Connection(s): |
|
| Membership: |
ethnic
|
| Location: |
Darfur, Southern Kordofan, Northern Bahr el Ghazal, Upper Nile |
| Force Strength: |
[unknown,
2000] |
| Target(s): |
civilians; rebels, insurgents, or other armed group; ethnic group
|
| Purpose(s): |
intimidation of ethnic/religious groups; fight insurgents
|
| Other Information: |
- Murahaleen means travellers
- Murahaleen is the armed militia of Arab nomads from the Baqqarah (Arabic for cattle herders) people
- the Baqqarah people is composed of several tribes (Missiriya, Zaghawah, Rizaygat, etc) and are located in areas close to Southern Sudan
- the Murahaleen are led by Sultan Abd al-Baqi Ayiei, and his son, Husayn Abd al-Baqi
- in the 1980s, the Murahaleen frequently clashed with the SPLM/A and the Sudanese government used this antagonism by supporting the Murahaleen
- they are not given salaries, but the opportunity to loot
- the war efforts of the Murahaleen are mostly directed towards civilians of the Dinka ethnic group and only sometimes towards the SPLM/A
- the Murahaleen abduct civilians (mostly women and children) and force them into unpaid labour in the North
- they conduct operations with the army and the Popular Defence Forces (PDF)
- in 1989, the Murahaleen were incorporated into the PDF but still act independently from time to time |
