The Rashaida Free Lions ('', al-usud al-hurra'') are an armed group of the

Rashaida people The Rashaida (), also known as Bani Rasheed, are a Bedouin ethnic group inhabiting the coastal plain of the Red Sea stretching from the Sudanese city of Port Sudan to the Eritrean city of Massawa. They are the descendants of Arabs, Arab tribes peo ...

that was active in the eastern regions of

Sudan Sudan, officially the Republic of the Sudan, is a country in Northeast Africa. It borders the Central African Republic to the southwest, Chad to the west, Libya to the northwest, Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the east, Eritrea and Ethiopi ...

. The Free Lions were formed in November 1999 by

Mabrouk Mubarak Salim Mabrouk Mubarak Salim is a Sudanese politician and was the Minister in the Ministry of Transport and Roads, appointed to in May 2007. He was also the founding member of the Sudanese Free Lions, an armed group composed of Rashaida. He is also the ...

. While the political grievances articulated by the Free Lions, like those of their allies the

Beja Congress The Beja Congress () is a political group comprising several ethnic entities, most prominently the Beja, of eastern Sudan. It was founded in 1957 by Dr. Taha Osman Bileya together with a group of Beja intellectuals, as a political platform for ...

, revolve around the effects of large mechanized agricultural schemes upon traditional life, the act which mobilized the Rashaida into action was the government confiscation of 400 vehicles the government of

Kuwait Kuwait, officially the State of Kuwait, is a country in West Asia and the geopolitical region known as the Middle East. It is situated in the northern edge of the Arabian Peninsula at the head of the Persian Gulf, bordering Iraq to Iraq–Kuwait ...

had given them in thanks for their political support during the 1991

Gulf War , combatant2 = , commander1 = , commander2 = , strength1 = Over 950,000 soldiers3,113 tanks1,800 aircraft2,200 artillery systems , page = https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-PEMD-96- ...

. The Rashaida had immigrated from

Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in West Asia. Located in the centre of the Middle East, it covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula and has a land area of about , making it the List of Asian countries ...

only in the late 19th century and have extensive family ties with Kuwait. In March 2005, the Free Lions agreed to an alliance with the larger Beja Congress under the Eastern Front umbrella. Although the Eastern Front later was joined by the

Justice and Equality Movement The Justice and Equality Movement (JEM; , ') is an opposition group in Sudan founded by Khalil Ibrahim. Gibril Ibrahim has led the group since January 2012 after the death of Khalil, his brother, in December 2011. The JEM supported the removal ...

, the Free Lions never gained a wide base of support amongst their people, and relied on their skill as businessmen and smugglers—as well as

Eritrea Eritrea, officially the State of Eritrea, is a country in the Horn of Africa region of East Africa, with its capital and largest city being Asmara. It is bordered by Ethiopia in the Eritrea–Ethiopia border, south, Sudan in the west, and Dj ...

n support—to fund their activities.Young, ''The Eastern Front'', pp. 28f In the end, their ties to Kuwaiti parliamentarians played a large role in mediating the October 2006 peace agreement between the Eastern Front and the Sudanese government.

References

External links

"Sudan: Saving Peace in the East"

International Crisis Group The International Crisis Group (ICG; also known as the Crisis Group) is a global non-profit, non-governmental organisation founded in 1995. It is a think tank, used by policymakers and academics, conducting research and analysis on global crises. ...

, 5 January 2006, pp. 17–18 1990s establishments in Sudan Political history of Sudan Rebel groups in Sudan 1999 establishments in Africa {{Sudan-stub