Cultural portrait · Sahara and Tibesti

Gorane / Daza

Saharan nomads, Daza, camels and zebu, desert autonomy.

Context

People profile

Language family: Nilo-Saharan (Saharan: Daza)
Region / province: Borkou, Kanem, Ennedi, Bahr el-Ghazal
Livelihoods: herding · nomadism or transhumance
Customs and oral literature: Dances around the fire, trail songs.
Present-day situation: On the Tibesti gold sites, old rivalries between Daza (Gorane) and Teda have resurfaced. (International Crisis Group, Rapport Afrique n°274, « Tchad : sortir de la confrontation à Miski », 2019-05-17)
Sources: Wikipédia, « Daza (peuple) » · EDS-MICS 2014-2015 · Sources
Last reviewed: 18 October 2026

Share (EDS-MICS 2014–2015): 5.8%
Subgroups: Daza, including Kreda, Kecherda, and other Gorane lineages
Culture: Census “Gorane” mainly means the Daza, cousins of the Teda of Tibesti. Islam, nomadism, lineages. The Kreda of Bahr el-Ghazal are the most numerous.
Food / staple foods: Milk, dates, goat or camel meat.
To remember: Daza language. Orientation, leather, saddle, memory of the central Sahara.

SourcesPortraits and pages draw on public sources. Population shares follow the 2014-2015 EDS-MICS household survey, not the last census (RGPH 2009). Main photographs are documentary stills (Festival Dary, Wiki Loves Folklore, Wiki Loves Africa, Wikimedia archives) under Creative Commons, credited to the photographer.

Subgroups

Each subgroup shares the essentials with the main people, with its own nuances of language, place and custom.

Daza
Area
Borkou, Ennedi, Kanem, Barh el Gazel
Language or dialect
Dazaga
Towns and villages
Faya-Largeau
Southern branch of the Toubou, camel and cattle herders between Sahara and Sahel; Borkou palm groves.
Kreda
Area
Barh el Gazel
Language or dialect
Dazaga
Towns and villages
Moussoro
Daza group of the Sahel, major cattle herders (see also the Kreda page).

Passing on between generations

Among the Toubou, J. Chapelle describes transmission through the clan: recited genealogies, livestock brands, rights to wells and palm groves, oral poetry. Children learn herding by following the herds.

Quick quiz

Pick an answer: the correction and its source appear right away.

Question 1 of 3

Which of these groups is a subgroup of the Gorane / Daza?

Teda of the TibestiDazaSalamat

Sources for this section

How cultures are passed on · Resources for teachers

In-depth portrait

Machine translation from French, under review. The French text is authoritative.

What the encyclopedia says

The Daza or Dazaga, better known by their Arabic name Goranes, are nomadic herders ranging from eastern Niger to eastern Chad and belonging to the wider Toubou group. They are closely related to the Teda. Their language is Dazaga.

Quoted from French Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0) : « Daza (peuple) » · The cited article covers part of this grouping. · Translated excerpt, licence CC BY-SA 4.0 (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Cultural profile

0 of 6 sections documented

History and origins To document
Language To document
Social organisation To document
Beliefs and religious practice To document
Life cycle (birth, initiation, marriage, funerals) To document
Housing, crafts and dress To document

Documented fact: based on a published written source, cited under the section. Reported oral account: testimony from a community member, published with their consent, not confirmed in writing. Empty sections stay empty rather than being filled in.