The Shilluk and their fellow Luo people

The Shilluk are part of the Luo group which are believed to have resided originally in Western Bahr el Ghazal State,in the 10th Century due to disagreements the group split and migrated to wide range of areas.

A Map of Western Bahr el Ghazal State

Nyikang and his nation moved northward along the Nile towards Kush. Whilst other Luo groups rejected Nyikang's idea and headed south and westwards.

Nyikang led the Shilluk's to Upper Nile State to a land they now called the Shilluk Kingdom

Luo groups are found in Uganda where the Acholi,Alur (also found in the Democratic Republic of Congo), Chope, Jonam, Jopadhola, Kumam,Lango groups reside.

Ethophia where the Anyuak live on the highlands,Sudan in the Nuba region where the Funj group reside.

Also in Kenya and Tanzania where the flagship Luo (Jo-Luo) tribe resides.

Luo people are very proud of the achievements of fellow Luo Barack Obama

The most notable Luo person is Barack Obama the president of the United States,who's is an Kenya Luo (on his father's side).

Other South Sudanese tribes from the Luo group include:

 

Acholi (also found in Uganda)
Anyuak (also found in Ethophia)
Luo (Jur-Chol)
Pari
Thuri
Jum Jum (also found in Sudan)
Blanda Boore
Maban

Images,references and further reading: Barack Obama Biography Wikipedia SSDRC

The Shilluk People

Name

Chollo also known as Collo and Shilluk to outsiders 

Area

Found in Western and North Western area of Upper Nile State

Facts

One of South Sudan's largest ethnic groups

The Shilluk are not just a tribe they are part of the:

Läki Cɔllɔ or the Shilluk Kingdom

Shilluk people are the only people in South Sudan who have a recognised kingdom,which also has it's own government.They are also led by a King called Reth the current king is Reth Kwong.

Fashoda (Pachodo) is the Capital of the Shilluk Kingdom,

The Shilluk are part of the East Sudanic Group (which separated in 3000 BC),which includes neighbouring tribes such as the Dinka people.

Unfortunately for the Shilluk's over the years they have had a less than cohesive relationship with their Dinka neighbours.One of their most recent disagreements has been over land ownership.As the Dinka's of Jonglei State claim that the Shilluk land east of the Nile belongs to them and is not part of the Shilluk Kingdom.

As this land has belonged to the Shilluk's for hundreds of years,the tribes are in disagreement,which caused a rebellion to break out.Which caused the SPLA (Sudan Peoples Liberation Army) and the Dinka's to attack the spiritual home of  the Shilluk,Fashoda in late 2009.

Beliefs

The Shilluk look up to and believe in their spiritual leader and national hero Nyikang,who is believed to have been given special gifts by Jwok (God).

The Shilluk people are believers of Spiritualism and/or Christianity (Catholicism and Protestantism) but a small minority have converted to Islam.This is because the Shilluk people collectively are a community which ensures that their traditions and beliefs are retained by passing them on to the next generation.

Below is a video of a Shilluk language film about Jesus Christ:

Economy:

Agriculture and Fish

Cattle

Customs:

Markings

The Shilluk people have a pattern of dots marked on their heads this is no longer a tradition which every Shilluk goes through but it's seen as a trademark of the Shilluk people.

Two Shilluk men with the trademark Shilluk markings,wearing Lau in 1936

Lau

Is the traditional dress of the Shilluk people,which has now been adopted into South Sudanese society.It is traditionally a cotton fabric worn and tied on left shoulder by men and worn on the right shoulder by women.

Naming process

Girls names  

Normally begin with Nya

Naming process after a family grievance

When a child is born after a grievance in the family they are called Aban, Kimo (both unisex names) and Ronyo (males only)

Other names associated with occasions :

Okach (which means hungry) or Nyakach refers to famine

Oyoo (which means road) or Nyayoo refers to a birth on the road/street

Acwanyo refers to coinciding with the arrival of an important person or relative 

Diaspora

Shilluk are found in mainly Canada,Europe (mainly in the United Kingdom),USA and Australia

Notable Shilluk people

Pagan Amum

Pagan Amum (Minister of Peace and former Secretary General of the of Government of South Sudan)
Lam Akol (Chairman of SPLM-DC ,former Minister of Foreign Affairs and a former high-ranking official of the SPLA)
Viviana Nyachan James (singer)

Images and References:   Gurtong    Wikipedia  Joshua Project

Upper Nile State

State:

Upper Nile also known as A'aly an-Nyl and Aâlâ En Nîl

Province:

Upper Nile

Approximate Population: 

964,353  

State Capital: 
Malakal

Other Important Towns: 

Renk, Kodok (Fashoda), Nasser, Oriny, Maiwut, Gerger, Melut

Counties :

Nasir County
Ulang County
Baliet County
Maiwut County

Longechuk County
Maban County

Renk County
Manyo County
Meluth County
Pinyikang County
Fashoda County
Makal County

Akoka County

Religion

The people of Upper Nile state are either spiritualists/traditionalists,Christians or Muslims.Upper Nile has the highest population of South Sudanese Muslims in the country,due to it's location in Northern South Sudan.

Those who practice Islam also the majority of those who were known to protest for the need of a secession.As they believe that the North not only ignores the needs of the Southerners but also ignores the fact that there are Muslims in South Sudan.  

Tribes which reside in the area

Anyuak people

Anywaa Jambo,Yambo and Nuro commonly known as Anyuak to outsiders

An Anuak woman

Occupations:

Herdsmen
Farmers

 

Land

Live in a grassy region that is flat and virtually treeless. During the rainy season, this area floods, so that much of it becomes swampland with various channels of deep water running through it. They are part of the Luo group of people which reside throughout East Africa,Anyuak people are also found nearby is Ethiopia.

Jum Jum people

Religion:

 
Muslim
Animism

Population:
 

50.000 people

Land:
 

The Jum Jum people reside in Northern Upper Nile State but the majority are found in Sudan.

The Jum Jum live on the Eastern border of Upper Nile

Occupations:
 

Men:Farmers and Shepherds
Women: help with the harvest of fruit,vegetables etc (agriculture)

Maban people
 

Also known as 'Mabaano',‘Burun’or ‘Chai’

Population:
 

100,000 people

People and Land
 

The Maban are originally from the Luo group and believed to have separated from the Shilluk in Soba near Khartoum,due to the collapse of the last Christian Kingdom of Makkura.They later migrated to the Baro River area.

Mabaano people live in Upper Nile state in Maban County, the Manbano and Buldid clans are also found in Maiwut county.

Customs and Beliefs

Traditionally,every October the Maban perform 'the sacrifice feast' which is used to confess all their sins and to ask their supreme being (who is their God) to grant them good health and to ask for tolerance towards their actions.

Traditional dance

Other tribes that reside in the area are:

Shilluk
Dinka
Nuer
Uduk

Fashoda Incident

Kodok (Fashoda) is the location of the infamous 'The Fashoda Incident' (1898) were there was the climax of territorial disputes between the United Kingdom and France. It brought the United Kingdom and France to the verge of war , but ended in a diplomatic victory for the UK.

Images and References:Gurtong,Joshua Project,Wikipedia