1- the Basharia

this tribe is the predominant group in the area. It is then worth to introduce them first, considering that the two groups share many characteristics. The Basharia are a branch of the Beja5, who claimed to descend from Kush the son of Ham. The Beja moved from the Arabian Peninsula to Sudan after the Deluge and they settled in Africa between the Nile and the Red Sea. They can be found in South-Eastern Egypt, in Eastern Sudan and South to Eritrea. The Basharia descend from the Beja who settled in Gabel Elba. According to their oral tradition, their ancestor was Bashar ibn Kahil from whom they took the name. Basharia are divided in two main sub-groups the Um Ali and the Um Nagi. The first division is mainly in the North of the Beja territory, which means that the Basharia in the South of Egypt are mainly Um Ali. The second division is present mainly in the South6. Um Ali is then divided in four main sub-groups: the Aliab, the Hamadorab, the Amrab and the Shantirab. Um Nagi is divided into seven sub-groups: the Mansurab, Nafaab, Eiraiab, Mohammeditab, Hamadab, Ibrahimab and Weilaliab. Aliab and Hamadorab from the Um Ali branch are the local inhabitants of Shalateen, Abu Ramad and Hala’ib. As it concerns their language, the Basharia speak their own language called Bedawit or Rotana. They also speak Arabic, but they prefer to use their language among themselves.

the Ababda.
They probably descend from the Beja but they prefer to have their own history. According to the Sheikh, in fact, they do not descend from the Beja but certainly they are closely related. The oral tradition reports that they arrived in Egypt from Saudi Arabia following their leader el-Zuber ibn el-Awa’am. They inhabit the area that goes from Aswan to Qena to the Red Sea. They are divided in four main groups: Ashabab, Malikab, Aboudine and Gamiliyya. Their language is Arabic, Egyptian dialect.

Rashayda
Are pastoral nomads who were kicked out from Saudi Arabia in 1846. They arrived in Sudan and then spread also to the South of Egypt. As mentioned before some 200 – 300 families live outside Shalateen. Their presence in the area is linked to the profitable camel trade, they control. They cannot be considered a single unified community; their only relationship with the neighbors is related to trade. They speak a Sudanese Arabic dialect. More details about the Rashayda are presented in chapter two.


Source: Areport on Preliminary Study of the Local Communities in Elba Protected Area.2003,EIECP,Cairo