Mundari Tribe

Encounters with the Mundari Tribe.

South Sudan is well known for being the world’s youngest country, however the real joy of any South Sudan tour is the country’s people. Among the magnificent national parks of Boma, Nimule and Badingilo, the different animal species they harbor, sceneries beautiful to the eyes and emerging fastest growing city in Africa, Juba and the people of South Sudan.

With different beliefs, traditions, cattle rearing, language, religions and tribal practices, you can never go wrong on a cultural safari in South Sudan. There are over 60 different tribes in the country with an array of different dialects, languages and traditions. South Sudan is one of the few photogenic adventures remaining in the world.

Talking of the beautiful cultures in the country, Mundari tribe is one that can never be left out. The Mundari tribe is from the Nilotic ethnic group; meaning they originated from the White Nile. These are cattle herders and fierce warriors; they live in close physical relationship with their cattle. A Mundari man is one you will give money and tells to take it back and bring him a cow instead.

Mundari children do most of the work on the cattle camps, the collect the fresh cow dung to piles and fire it up. This is a control measure for the numerous flies and mosquitoes in the countryside of South Sudan. The Mundaris smear the very ash from the burnt dung on the bodies to freshly protect themselves from the hot sun and mosquitoes; it’s the natural mosquito repellant.

It’s a daily routine for the kids to the cattle to graze all day and come back before day fall, clean the cattle and tie them on poles. It’s still the kids to sleep with the cattle protecting them with AK-47s in fear of the constant raids among themselves.

It is a Mundari traditional norm of initiating young boys into adulthood, all the initiatives live together with a village elder away from the community for three months. For these months, they live in nature and naked, after the three months, each of them ills a cow and they are now called men.

The commonest hobby among the Mundari is wrestling, boys take on this from a very young age until they grow too old for this, and these usually become countrywide warriors and heroes.

Anytime on a South Sudan Safari, the Mundari Tribe is a must visit.