Hadjarai

The Hadjarai are a group of peoples comprising 6.7% of the population of Chad, [ [https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/print/cd.html "Chad"] , The World Factbook] or more than 150,000 people.Cite book| author=Olson, James Stuart| title =The Peoples of Africa: An Ethnohistorical Dictionary| publisher = Greenwood Press| year = 1996| pages = 213| id = ISBN 0313279187] The name is an Arabic exonym, literally meaning " [those] of the stones" (i.e. of the mountains). It is used collectively to describe several distinct ethnic groups living in the hilly Guéra Region.cite book|author=Decalo, Samuel|title=Historical Dictionary of Chad|publisher=Scarecrow Press|year=1987|pages=160|id=ISBN 0-8108-1937-6]

While the Hadjarai groups speak diverse languages, they share many cultural traits,cite conference| last = Chesley| first =William T.| title = Une enquete sociolinguistique parmi les sokoro du Guera| booktitle = Société Internationale du Linguistique| date = May 1994| url =http://www.uni-bayreuth.de/afrikanistik/cnl/unpublished/pdf/sokoro.pdf] the most prevalent of which is a common belief in "margais", i.e., invisible spirits that control the natural elements. This cult has survived the rapid conversion of most Hadjarai to Islam during the colonial period, despite attempts by the French colonial authorities to avoid Islamization through the promotion of Christian missions.cite book|author=Chapelle, Jean|title=Le Peuple Tchadien: ses racines et sa vie quotidienne|publisher=L'Harmattan|year=1981|pages=178-179|id=ISBN 2-85802-169-4]

Though never united in the past, the Hadjarai people, share a strong spirit of independence, forged in pre-colonial Chad by their repeated clashes with slave-raiding "razzias" in their territory, and supported in particular by the Ouaddai Kingdom. [cite book|author=Buijtenhuijs, Robert|title=Le Frolinat et les révoltes populaires du Tchad, 1965-1976|publisher=Mouton Éditeur|year=1978|pages=45|id=ISBN 90-279-7656-9] This tradition of independence has led to frequent clashes with the central government after Chad gained independence in 1960, at first largely because of attempts to force them to move from the hills to the plains. They were among the staunchest supporters of the rebels during the Chadian Civil War. Although the Hadjarai played a crucial role in bringing to power in 1982, they grew alienated from him after the death of their spokesman Idriss Miskine. They suffered heavily in 1987, after Habré launched a campaign of terror against them in response to the formation of the MOSANAT rebel movement, [cite book|author=Nolutshungu, Sam C.|title=Limits of Anarchy: Intervention and State Formation in Chad|publisher=University of Virginia Press|year=1995|pages=234|id=ISBN 0-8139-1628-3] and members of the group were arrested and even killed "en masse". [Citation| author = Brody, Reed| title = The Prosecution of Hissène Habré - An "African Pinochet"| journal = New England Law Review| volume = 35| pages = 321–335| date = Winter 2001| year = 2001|url=http://www.nesl.edu/lawrev/vol35/2/brody.PDF] 840 of those arrested appear to have been immediately killed. [S. Nolutshungu, "Limits of Anarchy", 236] The Hadjarai thus became important supporters of Idriss Déby's rebellion against the President and contributed to Habré's downfall in 1990. [Citation| last1 = Atlas| first1 = Pierre M.| last2 =Licklider| first2 = Roy| title = Conflict among Former Allies after Civil War Settlement: Sudan, Zimbabwe, Chad, and Lebanon| journal = Journal of Peace Research| volume =36 | pages =35-54 | year = 1999] A crisis among Déby and the Hadjarai leadership flared in 1991 after an alleged coup attempt. Countless Hadjarai were incarcerated as fighting spread to the Hadjarai territory, despite efforts by Déby to reassure the local population of Guéra. [S. Nolutshungu, "Limits of Anarchy", 249-252]

The fifteen Hadjarai ethnic groups include the Dajus, Kengas, Junkun, Dangaleats, Mogoums, Sokoros, Sabas, Barains, Bidios, Yalnas, Bolgos, Koffas and Djongors. Most of these are small farmers. Over 90% of Hadjarai women have undergone female genital cutting. [ [http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2006/78726.htm Chad - Country Reports on Human Rights Practices - 2006] , Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, U.S. Department of State, March 6, 2007]

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