Pro-Government Militias

Pro-Government Militia Website

Ambororo (Sudan)

Basic Group Information

Name assigned by coder: no
PGM ID Number: 279
Country: Sudan
Date formed: Aug. 2, 2006
    Accuracy of date formed: year
Details of Formation: The Ambororo are nomads who used to be selling milk. In 2006, they were suddenly seen with sophisticated equipment and evidence suggests that they received support from the National Congress Party.
Date dissolved: July 9, 2011
    Accuracy of date dissolved: year
Details of Termination: The Ambororo have been expelled from Western Equatoria state in 2008/10 by South Sudan authorities and were mainly active in Western Bahr el Ghazal, which belongs now to the territory of South Sudan. The group is coded to be terminated in 2011 when South Sudan became independent from Sudan.
Termination Type(s): border change

Former and Successor Group Information

Predecessor group(s): none
Successor group(s): none
Private Military Company? no
Former Group? no
    Former Armed Group? no
Former Rebel Group? no
    Former Rebel Group UCDP ID: none
PGM Becomes Rebel Group? no
    Successor Rebel Group UCDP ID: none

Government Relation, Support, and Training

Government Relation: informal (type 1)
Created by the Government?: no information
    Main Creating Government Institution: none
Government Link(s): political party; state (institution)
    If link to party, name of party: National Congress Party
Training and Equipment: yes
Shared Information and Joint Operations: no
Shared Personnel: no
Type(s) of Material Support: domestic government; self-maintained
State Sponsor(s): none
Other Connection(s):

Group Characteristics

Membership: ethnic
Primary Membership: ethnic
Alternative Primary Membership: no information
Location: Western Bahr el Ghazal
Force Strength: [unknown, unknown]
Target(s): civilians; rebels, insurgents, or other armed group; peasants
Purpose(s): intimidation of civilians

Ethnic Characteristics

Ethnic Target(s): none
    Quality of Information for Ethnic Targeting: not applicable
Ethnic Membership: Other Arab groups (Sudan)
    Quality of Information for Ethnic Membership: given
Ethnic Purpose: none
    Quality of Information for Ethnic Purpose: not applicable

Other Information

Other Information: The Ambororo are located in Bahr el Ghazal, Western Equatoria and Unity. They target SPLM/A police which is considered a rebel group despite the Comprehensive Peace Agreement due to their continued support of an independent South Sudan. Apart from the weapons, it can be assumed that the Ambororo use their cattle as source of finance. The Ambororo are Arab nomads.

New Variables from Meta-Analysis

Purpose

Purpose: The National Congress government supported the Ambororos with the aim that they destabilize the SPLM/A-dominated areas in the Western Bahr al-Ghazal State.
Relative Benefit(s) of PGM Use unknown

Treatment of Civilians

Treatment of Civilians: The Ambororo destroyed crops, beehives, water points and cultivated land of local farmers in Western Bahr al-Ghazal State and Western Equatoria. In 2007, community leaders in Western Equatoria alleged that the Ambororo had killed more than 90 people in the region, a claim that was refuted by the vice-president of Southern Sudan. In 2008, the government of Southern Sudan expelled the Ambororo from Western Equatoria due to their predating behaviour.
Type(s) of Violence against Civilians: killing

Reasons for Membership

PGM Members Coerced? no information
PGM Members Paid? no information
Reasons for Membership:
PGM Members Killed? no information

PGM Size

Size:

Weapons and Training

Weapons and Training: The Ambororo have automatic weapons. The security advisor to the governor of Western Equatoria suspects the state authorities for providing the Ambororo with the weapons.

Organisation

Organisation: The Ambororo has links to the National Congress Party. The Ambororo are led by the Ambororo Chief, Mohamed Suleiman, who represents the group at Southern Sudan level.

Reference(s) for Meta-Analysis

Information was taken from news sources listed in the PGMD

Evidence