FUR PEOPLE

The 'Fur' ('fòòrà' in Fur, فور in Arabic) are a people of the western Sudan, numbering about 0.5 million in 1983[1] and principally inhabiting the region of Darfur, where they are the largestGettleman, Jeffrey, "Chaos in Darfur on rise as Arabs fight with Arabs", news article, ''The New York Times'', September 3, 2007, pp 1, A7 tribe.
They are a black African people who practice sedentary herding, relying mainly on the cultivation of millet. Their society is a highly traditional one governed by village elders. They speak Fur, a Nilo-Saharan language, and are Muslims, having adopted the religion following the region's conquest by the Kanem-Bornu Empire during the Middle Ages. Some of them have come to speak Arabic in recent years.
The Fur established the historical Sultanate of Darfur which governed Darfur for several centuries. It is still the first political powers in the region, as it is the largest ethnic group. The name of Darfur comes from the name of this tribe and means "the home of the Fur". Most renowned governors of Darfur such as Deriage and Tegani Seisei are members of the Fur.
One of its members, Abdulwahid Mohammed Nour, established the Sudan Liberation Movement and Army. Another leader of the tribe, as of 2007, is Ahmed Abdul Rahman.
The traditional heartland of the Fur is the mountainous region around Jebel Sî and Jebel Marra Wadi Salih and Zaligi; today, however, most of them live in the lower country west and southwest of that area, between 11-14 N and 23-26 E. A few Fur live across the border in Chad.
The Furs' lifestyle has led to conflict with the nomadic Baggara, cattle-herders of the region, concerning access to water and grazing land, particularly in Darfur's central Jebel Marra mountains where the best agricultural land is to be found. This has been the source of ethnic tensions for many years, culminating in the Darfur conflict, which began in 2003.
Many Fur villagers were massacred in the ethnic fighting as Mahria and Terjem tribes divided up land they conquered from the Fur, according to a ''New York Times'' account citing United Nations officials and Fur survivors.
Many Fur have fled to Chad and elsewhere.
The Fur are well-known for their Muslim piety.^[1]

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1. [2]de Waal, Alex, "Darfur's deep grievances defy all hopes for an easy solution", opinion article, ''The Observer'' of London, July 25, 2004, accessed September 4, 2007