Know the Anyuak people.
The Anuak are a river people whose villages are scattered along the
banks and rivers of southeastern Sudan and western Ethiopia. The Anuak of
Sudan 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.
The Anuak speak a Nilotic language known as Anuak. Unlike other Nilotic
people in the region whose economy is centered on raising cattle, the
Anuak are herdsmen and farmers. They are believed to have a common origin
with the their northern neighbors, the Shilluk. Also, they share a similar
language with their neighbors to the south, the Acholi.
About 150 years ago, the Anuak occupied a large territory stretching
north into Sudan. After numerous invasions, however, the Anuak were forced
further south into their present location along the Baro and Pibor Rivers.
What Are Their Lives Like?
The Anuak herd sheep and goats and keep small gardens near their homes.
They grow most of their own food. When the soil of a village becomes
depleted, the Anuak move to a nearby fertile site to cultivate new ground.
There is no cooperation or teamwork between villages in cultivating the
land. Consequently, each village remains self-sufficient and isolated from
other Anuak villages.
The Anuak are divided into clans. A strong sense of unity exists among
clan members since most live in the same village. Intermarriage between
clans is common.
Anuak villages are thinly populated. These small, independent villages
may be strung out up to twenty miles apart, oftentimes with swamps and
rivers between them. Some villages are surrounded by dense reeds and are
almost impossible to reach and quite difficult to attack. The sparse
distribution of villages, along with the little cooperation that exists
between them, makes each village a self-governing political and legal
unit. This highly decentralized political system leaves each Anuak village
with a strong sense of separate identity.
Every Anuak settlement has a headman who is in charge of village
ceremonies and possesses the village drums and ancient Anuak relics. He is
given allegiance and respect by the villagers who cultivate his land and
bring him gifts of meat and fish. If the headman loses the villagers'
support by being a weak leader, he will be expelled from the village,
taking nothing with him but his wives.
When an Anuak dies, he is buried either in a shaft in the center of his
homestead, or underground, just a few feet from his hut. His face is
covered with animal skins and the grave is enclosed by a fence. Each year
when the millet harvest begins and beer is being brewed, a mortuary feast
is held in memory of all who have died that year.
What are their beliefs?
Nearly 95% of the Anuak are animists (believing that non-human objects
have spirits) who follow their traditional ethnic religion. They believe
in an all-powerful spirit named Juok who is regarded as the creator of all
things. The Anuak sacrifice animals to Juok for help when someone is sick
or when someone wants revenge. The Anuak also pray directly to Juok,
instead of using mediator spirits or priests to intercede for them.
The Anuak also practice divination and magic. They call upon the cijor
(a type of sorcerer) to put curses on others. Such sorcerers are often
used by elderly people who are unable to avenge themselves.
What are their needs?
The New Testament has been translated into the Anuak language. However,
only a very small percentage of the Anuak have become Christians. They
need the entire Bible and other Christian evangelical materials translated
into their language.
They would greatly benefit from Christian radio broadcasts, and they also
need much prayer and further evangelistic outreach.
Prayer Points
Ask the Lord to send forth labourers into Sudan who will understand the
needs of the Anuak.
Ask the Holy Spirit to grant wisdom and favor to the missions agencies
that are presently working among the Anuak. Pray that God will reveal
Himself to the Anuak through dreams and visions.
Pray that God will give the Anuak believers boldness to share Christ with
their own people.
Take authority over the spiritual principalities and powers that are
keeping the Anuak bound.
Pray that qualified linguists will translate Christian materials into the
Anuak language.
Ask God to raise up prayer teams who will begin breaking up the soil
through worship and intercession.
Ask the Lord to bring forth a triumphant Anuak church for the glory of His
name!
