Rashaida Free Lions

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The Rashaida Free Lions (Arabic: al-usud al-hurra, الأسود الحُرة) are an armed group of the Rashaida people that was active in the eastern regions of Sudan. The Free Lions were formed in November 1999 by Mabrouk Mubarak Salim. The political grievances articulated by the Free Lions, like those of the allied Beja Congress, revolve around the effects of large mechanized agricultural schemes upon traditional life. The Rashaida immigrated from Saudi Arabia only in the late 1800s and have extensive family ties with Kuwait. In March 2005, the Free Lions agreed to an alliance with the larger Beja Congress under the Eastern Front umbrella. Partially due to the family ties and in appreciation for the many Rashaida who volunteered to fight on the side of Kuwait during the 1991 Gulf War, Kuwaiti parliamentarians were extensively involved in mediating the October 2006 peace agreement between the Eastern Front and the Sudanese government.