Interesting news today in the New York Times article entitled, "Chaos in Darfur Rises as Arabs Fight With Arabs." Apparently the Arabs who had previously been pillaging the Fur tribes people are now assaulting each other in a clash over who will dominate the land stolen from the Fur. The two tribes are the Terjem and the Mahria.
According to the article, the Terfem are cattle herders and farmers who lived closely with the Fur. The Mahria are nomadic camel herders who have a knack for fighting. Together they worked as the Janjaweed; the Terjem located the Fur and the Mahria attacked them. In December the Mahria and Terjem began skirmishing as the Mahria were migrating south and trampled on Terjem land. The skirmishing happened again in July as Mahria migrated back north through the same land. Unlike past skirmishes between the two tribes, this last period of summer fighting is persisting, perhaps due to a drive to seize land before a hybrid UN/AU peacekeeping force arrives in Darfur.
Regardless, this goes to show the complexity of the crisis. Proxy aggression might utilize Chad or the Fur or now even the Mahria or Terjem. But, with such factious conditions abounding, I am dubious about the outcome of any such meddling.
More later...
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
I have enjoyed your analysis of proxy war thus far. As we get ready to head overseas I am realizing that the negative impact of proxy war will be something I experience first hand. I'll keep you up on how it plays out.
Post a Comment