The Republic of South Sudan is a landlocked country in East Africa, which is bordered by six countries: Ethiopia, Sudan, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda and Kenya. The country has a population of nearly 12.7 million. South Sudan gained independence from Sudan on 9th July 2011 following over two decades of civil war. The White Nile river flows through the country and forms a vast swamp region called the Sudd.
Tuesday, 12th March 2024
Tony sat at a table at Mundari Cattle Camp. The landscape behind is flat with dispersed small trees and patches of bushes and other scrub vegetation. The ground is very dry and sandy with small patches of yellowed parched grass.
The Mundari People are a small ethnic group of South Sudan. They are part of the Karo which also includes the Bari, Pojulu, Kakwa, Kuku and Nyangwara people. The group is composed of cattle herders and farmers and their traditional tribal lands are located roughly 75 kilometres (47 miles) north of Juba, the capital of South Sudan, in the state of Central Equatoria.
A 4 by 4 vehicle parked at Mundari Cattle Camp. This was used to transport Tony and his guides to Mundari Cattle Camp. A local man is sitting by the vehicle and items have been unloaded including a gas canister and other items for cooking and food preparation.Tony at Mundari Cattle Camp. The background view shows the flat landscape with dry yellowed grass, but also groups of greener looking trees.Tony stood amongst of group of cattle with Mundari men and a boy also visible. The cattle have long horns and are mostly white or pale cream in colour, although a few have patches of black or brown. There is a lot of smoke in the air from fires which have been lit to deter mosquitoes and flies.Another shot of Tony with a group of cattle behind. The cattle are tethered in place by ropes attached to wooden stakes. Smoke is again drifting in the air.View of more cattle and also a fire. The fire appears to be burning dry grass and vegetation (or perhaps dried cattle dung) and is generating a lot of smoke. One of the cows has a bell dangling from its neck.Tony with a man from the Mundari Cattle Camp. He is holding a rope attached to one of the cattle with its long curved horns. Lots more cattle can be seen in the background amongst trees and bushes. It can just be seen that the Mundari man has scarification on his forehead in the form a parallel lines. This ritual practice denotes the change from boyhood to manhood.Tony stood at the Mundari Cattle Camp with a local boy and Ali. Ali was one of the local guides who drove and guided Tony around and did some/all of the cooking.Another group photo. Tony and Ali with two young boys and a older teenage boy from the Mundari tribe. The young boys are wearing football shirts.Tony and Ali with a group of Mundari men. Some of the men have colourful robes wrapped around them.Tony and Ali in the camp with a large tent behind to the left and three local boys sitting to the right. Cattle are tethered around the camp. There is smoke in the air.Another view of the cattle herded around the camp.A group of calves and younger cattle, some having a lie down, at the camp. Dogs can also be seen. There are at least two smouldering fires in view.Tony sitting at a small outdoor table waiting for a meal. Ali, Tony’s driver and guide, is by a 4 by 4 vehicle behind. Two bell tents are also in view. Photo taken around dusk.
Wednesday, 13th March 2024
Outside one of the bell tents the following morning.Young boy holding two puppies. Cattle can be seen in the background.Again the young boy with one of the puppies at the Mundari Cattle Camp.Another Mundari boy milking one of the cows.Tony stood near to the cattle with the sun rising.Tony stood in the camp in the morning. A large group of cattle, perhaps 100 or more, can be seen in background.Tony eating his breakfast of toast, scrambled egg and tea.Tony drinking his mug of tea next to the 4 by 4 vehicle.A young Mundari boy standing behind Tony while he is eating his breakfast.At a Mundari village located roughly a 15-minute drive from the cattle camp over very rocky and bumpy roads. A group of three huts can be seen. The middle hut is a round domed shape and is constructed traditionally: it is raised up on wooden posts with a thatched roof. The other huts have roofs covered with tarpaulin or a similar modern material.Tony and his guide Ali sitting on a bench at the Mundari village. A few huts can be seen behind in the dry sandy landscape.Another view of a hut with a thatched roof, woven sides and raised up on wooden posts. Nearby a shelter with open sides can also be seen. Various items are stored on the roof of the shelter, perhaps to keep them safe from the wildlife.Tony and Ali outside another hut with a local woman in the hut’s entrance behind. The hut or tent has a curved tarpaulin roof coming to within about a metre of the ground. It appears to be supported by wooden posts and has sides made from woven plant material.
Thursday, 14th March 2024
Tony in his room at Afex River Camp. This is a resort, on the banks of the White Nile river, near to the centre of Juba. It has mostly cottage style en-suite buildings with an on-site restaurant.
Juba is the capital and largest city of South Sudan. It is also the capital of the Central Equatoria State. The city is situated on the banks of the White Nile and had a population of 525,953 in 2017. Juba was established in 1920s by the Anglo-Egyptian authorities, on the site of a small Bari village, also called Juba. It became the capital of South Sudan in 2011 after the country gained independence.
Tony by a life-sized statue of a rhino at Afex River Camp.Tony sitting under a shelter at Afex River Camp. In the background is the White Nile river with a sunken ferry in the middle. It is often thought that this ferry was damaged during the Civil War, but apparently it was damaged during unloading and the motor failed, and it then washed downstream and eventually became stuck in its current location.Tony stood in front of the grave of Jubek in Juba. Jubek is believed to be the person after which the city of Juba was named. Jubek was born in the last years of the 19th century, and become the leader of a clan of the Bari people, who lived on land where the Anglo-Egyptian colonial authorities chose to establish their southern headquarters of Sudan in around 1921. Jubek’s grave was reconstructed in 2010 and Jubek’s memory is now celebrated here every year on 8th July. The grave is covered by an open-sided structure supported by five columns. It is painted white with ‘Jubek “The Founding Father of Juba”‘ written on the side.Tony in an office with the headmaster of the Rajaf School for the Blind and Deaf. This school is located in a suburb of Juba and is the only such school in South Sudan.Tony by a minibus belonging to Rajaf School for the Blind and Deaf.Main road heading over the Freedom Bridge in Juba. This is the second bridge constructed over the White Nile River in Juba. It opened in May 2022 and has a length of 560 metres. It is wide enough for two lanes of traffic and also has a pedestrian walkway.Outside St Theresa Cathedral located on Unity Avenue in the Kator district of Juba. Construction of this Roman Catholic cathedral began in 1952. During the civil war in southern Sudan about 5,000 people took refuge here. The cathedral has the Latin words ‘Haec est Domus Dei’ written on the front, which means This is the House of God. There is a bell and clock tower attached to the side of the building.Tony at the side of St Theresa Cathedral with the bell and clock tower in view.Stuck in a traffic jam in downtown Juba. Vehicles are queued in front with a view of surrounding shops and offices.
