Who Are the Anuak?
The Anuak (also Anywa, Anywaa) are a Nilotic people inhabiting the fertile lands along the Baro, Gilo, and Alwero rivers in western Ethiopia's Gambela Region, with additional populations in South Sudan. Numbering approximately 200,000-250,000 (split between both countries), they speak Anuak, a Western Nilotic language related to Shilluk and other Luo languages. Unlike their pastoral Nuer neighbors, the Anuak are primarily cultivators and fishers, utilizing the riverine environment for agriculture on annually flooded lands. Their society features village-based organization with chiefs (nyieye) whose authority varies regionally. The Anuak have faced severe human rights crises in both Ethiopia and South Sudan.
River Cultivation
The Anuak homeland features the flood plains of the Baro-Sobat river system. Annual flooding deposits fertile silt; as waters recede, the Anuak plant crops on the moist, enriched soil. This "flood-retreat" agriculture produces maize, sorghum, and vegetables. Fishing supplements cultivation; the rivers teem with fish during certain seasons. Unlike neighboring Nuer, who practice transhumant pastoralism moving with cattle herds, the Anuak are more sedentary, though they keep some cattle. This ecological adaptation shapes Anuak-Nuer relations: the groups occupy different ecological niches, sometimes trading, sometimes competing, occasionally conflicting over resources. Village placement reflects flood patterns; communities are located at the flood margin.
Violence and Displacement
The Anuak have suffered severe violence in recent decades. In December 2003, Ethiopian security forces and highlander settlers killed hundreds of Anuak in Gambela town in a massacre documented by human rights organizations. The violence was linked to competition over land, ethnic tensions, and political disputes. Thousands of Anuak fled to Kenya and South Sudan. In subsequent years, Ethiopian government land-leasing to foreign agricultural investors dispossessed Anuak communities without adequate compensation. In South Sudan, Anuak faced violence during the civil war, caught between factions and affected by general conflict. These experiences have scattered Anuak populations and created refugee communities. Advocacy organizations document ongoing abuses and advocate for Anuak rights.
Contemporary Anuak
Modern Anuak face ongoing challenges. In Ethiopia's Gambela Region, land-grabbing for commercial agriculture continues to threaten traditional livelihoods. Political representation remains contested. The 2003 massacre remains unresolved; perpetrators have not been held accountable. In South Sudan, the unstable national situation creates continuing insecurity. Anuak refugees remain in Kenya and elsewhere. Despite these challenges, Anuak communities maintain cultural identity. The Anuak language survives; oral traditions continue. Christianity has spread widely. Diaspora communities in the United States and elsewhere support homeland advocacy. The Anuak demonstrate the vulnerability of indigenous peoples in conflict-affected borderlands and the ongoing struggles for security, land, and recognition that characterize many marginalized communities in the Horn of Africa.
References
- Evans-Pritchard, E. E. (1940). The Political System of the Anuak of the Anglo-Egyptian Sudan
- Human Rights Watch (2005). Targeting the Anuak: Human Rights Violations and Crimes against Humanity in Ethiopia's Gambela Region
- Feyissa, D. (2011). Playing Different Games: The Paradox of Anywaa and Nuer Identification