Razzias Courses

A razzia, or raid, is a term used in certain regions of the world to describe a large-scale military or police operation. The term is primarily associated with the North African region, and is derived from the Arabic term meaning “raid” or “to ravage.” Razzias have been conducted throughout history, from the Middle Ages onward. Razzias were typically used by invading armies to extract resources from their victims, such as food, supplies, livestock and slaves. During the Middle Ages, razzias were often used by Muslim forces as a way to raid, pillage and capture villages or towns. Razzias were also used as a method of conquest, with the forces of the Muslim leader Charles Martel conducting razzias against the Jews of Spain in 717 AD. Razzias also involved the enslavement of captives – an act that was not limited to Muslim armies. In the early 19th century, Al-Hajj Umar Tall led a series of razzias in West Africa, which resulted in the enslavement of large numbers of people. In recent years, razzias have been conducted by a variety of governments and military forces as a means of achieving political aims. In 2008, French forces conducted a razzia in Somalia in order to disrupt pirate operations, while in 2011 the Mauritanian Navy led a razzia against a group of illegal migrants attempting to make the journey from West Africa to Europe. While razzias have largely fallen out of use since the Middle Ages, in countries such as Algeria the term is still used to describe large-scale security operations. These operations generally involve the deployment of large numbers of police officers in an effort to disrupt and arrest suspected criminals or terrorists.