The Chaamba (Arabic: الشعانبة, romanized: Sha‘āniba) are an Arab tribe in the northern Sahara of central Algeria. They are a large tribe of Bedouins and live in a large desert territory to the south of the Atlas Mountains,[1] around Metlili, El Golea, Ouargla, El Oued, and the Great Western Erg, including Timimoun and Béni Abbès[2] While traditionally they were nomads specialised in raising camels and caravan trade, most have settled in the oases over the past century.[1] The date palm is the most important agricultural product for the Chaamba.
| Chaamba الشعانبة | |
|---|---|
| Ethnicity | Arab |
| Location | Algerian Desert |
| Parent tribe | Banu Sulaym |
| Language | Arabic |
| Religion | Sunni Islam |
The Chaamba are of Arab origin and are descended from Banu Sulaym who migrated from the Arabian Peninsula with Banu Hilal.[3] They speak an Arabic dialect classified as Hilalian.[4]
Metlili
El Golea
Ouargla
El Oued
In 1937 it was estimated that 80 percent of all shops in the southwestern Sahara in Algeria were owned by the Chaamba[1] and in 1961 they had a population of 20,000 people.[5] In 1984 clashes broke out between the Maliki Sunni Chaamba and Ibadi Mozabites.[6] In 2008 there were several clashes between Chaamba and Mozabite youths in the oasis of Berriane, following a miscarriage caused by a firework.[7] Clashes broke out again in July 2015 between the Chaamba and Mozabites in the Mzab valley which left at least 22 dead and hundreds injured.[8]