Mondari, Chir in South Sudan

People Name:	Mondari, Chir
Country:	South Sudan
10/40 Window:	No
Population:	59,000
World Population:	59,000
Primary Language:	Mandari
Primary Religion:	Christianity
Christian Adherents:	75.00 %
Evangelicals:	9.00 %
Scripture:	Portions
Online Audio NT:	No
Jesus Film:	Yes
Audio Recordings:	Yes
People Cluster:	Nilotic
Affinity Bloc:	Sub-Saharan Peoples
Progress Level:

Introduction / History

The Mundari are a small nilotic tribe of cattle herders and agriculturalists native to South Sudan. The traditional Mundari tribal lands are located roughly 75 kilometers north of Juba, the capital of South Sudan, and are centered around 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.

What Are Their Lives Like?

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 South 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.

What Are Their Beliefs?

The Mandari follow a mixture of Christian and animistic beliefs, with symbols playing an important role in their cosmology.