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SINYAR 691
the east by the Fur and to the south by a congeries of small ethnic groups with
whom contact is minimal—the Fongoro, Kujarge, Fur-Dalinga and Daju-Galfige
(see Daju; Fongoro; Fur; Masalit).
The Sinyar call themselves Shamya after their alleged common ancestor; the
Fur call them Zimirra; the Masalit, Simyarta. Today the Chadian and Sudanese
Sinyar might number 26,000, scattered through some 40 villages, sometimes
together with the Fur or Daju, with whom they intermarry. About half of the
villages are in Chad, and only four of these are said to be relatively new settlements.
The oldest village is Angai're, named after a hill that dominates the
landscape.
In Sudan, Korenga, marked on the earliest Condominium maps, and Kodoro
on the eastern bank of the Wadi Azum are said to be the oldest Sinyar settlements.
The Sudanese part of Dar Sinyar hosts settlements of Bornu, camps of Baggara
Arabs and a number of multi-ethnic villages inhabited by economic and political
refugees from Chad such as Runga, Daggal, Kibeit and Bakha. The main Sinyar
center is the multi-ethnic trade town of Foro Boranga, which has an estimated
population of 7,500. Another center is a string of seven villages collectively
known as Merissa (officially called Gimeiza-Babikr), which is situated along the
Wadi Azum near its confluence with the Wadi Kaja. Part of its inhabitants used
to live across the river in villages near Jebel Angai're and in the old administrative
center of Mogororo. Destruction of this government post by Chadian rebels and
daily exposure to extortion and physical violence prompted many Chadian Sinyar
to join their brothers in Sudan.
The Chadian part of Dar Sinyar is hilly and infested with tsetse fly. Although
rich in wildlife, the region is sparsely populated because of lack of water, the
tsetse fly and the abundance of game, which make cultivation and animal husbandry
difficult. The Sinyar who used to inhabit this region have abandoned
most of their villages and moved northward over the course of time. The river
valleys which constitute the international frontier have clay soils, an average
annual rainfall of 18 to 24 inches and a more varied and abundant vegetation
and tree stratum than the Masalit territory further north. Dar Sinyar is cut off
from the outside world between late June and late September except for travellers
on foot or donkey. Descriptions of the region's vegetation and wildlife suggest
that the area has suffered from decreased rainfall over the past few decades. In
addition, due to the relentless exploitation of the environment by its inhabitants,
a large number of game and tree species have disappeared, and the density of
the remaining species has decreased sharply. Nevertheless, a large part of Dar
Sinyar remains flooded during the rainy season, precluding significant animal
husbandry by the settled population. On the other hand, nomadic pastoralists
direct their vast herds to the permanent water resources in the valleys during the
dry season.
Sinyar oral traditions claim Arab origin for the founding father of the group,
and Egypt is mentioned as his place of origin. Kinship and co-residence with
the Berti of northern Darfur Province is sometimes claimed (see Berti). Appar-