The traditional Mundari tribal lands are located roughly 75 kilometers north of Juba, the capital of South Sudan, and are centered on the town of Terekeka in the state of Central Equatoria. They are bordered to the north by the Bor Dinka at Pariak and to the south by the Bari of Juba at the Ku'da River. Their lands are bounded on the east by the White Nile and extend west to Lake Madi in Western Equatoria state, an area roughly 100 by 75 kilometers in size.
The land, like much of South Sudan, is predominantly flat and marked by occasional isolated large hills. The low-lying land contains many rivers and lakes and is prone to flooding during the rainy season. The soil is predominantly clay-based, causing drainage and water retention problems, and provides a very fertile basis in support of cattle grazing.
The main settlements in Mundariland are Terekeka, Mongalla, Gemaiza, Muni, Tombek, Tindalo, Tali, Rego, Rokon, Rijong, South Sudan, Koweri, and Ku'da.
The Mundari, like other nilotic tribes, are very cattle-oriented: cattle serves as food, a form of currency and a mark of status. Marriages are arranged by the prospective groom offering cattle to the bride's family and husbands may take as many wives as they can support. The Mundari engage in perennial cattle raiding wars with the Bor Dinka during the dry season.
The Mundari also cultivate sorghum and catch fish using nets and spears.
In common with other nilotic tribes in Sudan, the Mundari practice ritual scarification as a rite of passage into adulthood for young men. The typical Mundari scar pattern consists of two sets of three parallel lines, each on either side of the forehead, extending in a downward slope and unconnected in the middle.
It would be hard to find a more dedicated group of herdsmen than the tribe who live on the banks of the Nile, north of the capital Juba. Their entire lifestyle is geared around caring for their prized livestock, the Ankole-Watusi, a horned breed known as "the cattle of kings."
It's hard to overstate the importance of cattle to the Mundari people,these animals are everything to them.
Almost every man would like to take a picture of them with their favorite cow.
Perhaps this is in part due to the function and symbolism of the Ankole-Watusi. Each bovine is so highly prized that it is rarely killed for its meat. Instead, it is a walking larder, a pharmacy, a dowry, even a friend. It is clear that cow is a resource maintaining not just a people, but a way of life.
The Mundari, tall and muscular, may look like bodybuilders,but their diet is pretty much milk and yogurt. That's it.
Other bodily fluids have more unlikely uses. Mundari men will squat under streams of cow urine, both an antiseptic,and as an aesthetic choice,the ammonia in the urine color the Mundari's hair orange.
Meanwhile dung is piled high into heaps for burning, the fine peach-colored ash used as another form of antiseptic and sunscreen by the herdsmen, shielding them from the 115-degree heat.
The Mundari sleep among their cattle, two feet away from their favorites, and guard them at the point of a gun. It's not unreasonable for the tribe to go to these lengths. Rustlers are dangerous to them.
Their cattle are a form of currency and status symbol, and form a key part of a family's pension or dowry. Since the end of the civil war, thousands of men have returned to South Sudan looking for wives, which has pushed up the 'bride price', making these animals even more precious and increasing lethal cattle raids.
Such raids have been deadly for the Mundari, but the effects of war are manifold. Landmines make finding fresh pasture a dangerous thing. When he visited, Mundari people use a small island in the Nile as a safe haven.
The ongoing war in South Sudan has cut off the Mundari tribe from the rest of the world. They don't venture into the town, they stay in the bush, and it's why their unique way of life endures."
Mundari have no taste for war and "their guns are not to kill anyone but to protect their herd. All the Mundari want to do is take care of their livestock, and they will protect them at all costs.
ONE DAY MUNDARI TRIBAL SAFARI - South Sudan
One day safaris from Juba, South Sudan to the Mundari people. Cost based upon the number of people in your group. Includes roundtrip 4x4 vehicle to Terakeka from Juba, pick up and return to your hotel, driver guide, translator, $50 camera permit (and the costs to get the permit from the ministry of information), Ministry of Tourism cultural fee, cold drinks and lunch. This safari is possible all year on any date.
1 person $580 usd
2 persons $350 usd per person
3 persons $250 usd per person
4 persons $200 usd per person
If you are interested in this one day Mundari Tribal Safari please contact:
Happy Tours Africa
Email: happytoursug@gmail.com
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