The Pojulu (or Pojulu people) is a tribe of the savanna lands in the White Nile Valley, in the Equatoria region of South Sudan. They are Nilotic people and part of the Karo people—which also includes Bari, Mundari, Kakwa, Kuku, Nyangwara, and the Karo Tribes Of Omo Valley in Ethiopia such as the Banna, Hamer, Mursi, Kara, Dassanech, Arbore, Nyangatom known as the Omo Karo peoples.
The Pojulu differentiate into smaller clans of Nyori, Morsak, Korobura, Wonduruba, Mukaya, Goduk, Lobora, Moje, Mulusuk, Pirisa, Malari, Mankaro, Sadim, Jomi, Nyigo, Komojok, Limbe, Mundu, Jebelen, Maranga, Donni, Gokoni, Borri, Moyita, Gojang, Liggi, Soka, Yondoru, Mijibura, Wande, Wuji, nyainga, kweresak, Mundu, Dongoro, Lumuro, Soka, Jamara, Gbotoro, Yaribe, Morsak, Girim, Wolungu, Rongat, Mornyang, Bori, Goromu, Mugga, Giwaya, Pokula, Limbe, Gokiri, Muring, Wolungu, Lowinya, Mojumalat, Kupera, Dimu, pisak and many more.
Geography The majority of the Pojulu population are located in Lainya county of Central Equatoria state, including Mukaya Payam, Kenyi Payam, kupera Payam, lainya Payam, Wuji payam, mundu Payam. The Pojulu are also found in Juba and Yei county and in different parts of South sudan. Pojulu people also occupy the area from Lainya to Kagwada and Mukaya. The centre of Pojulu will be Kenyi Payam from Mundu 20 miles, Mukaya 18 miles, Wonduruba 21 miles, Bereka 15 miles, Lainya 9 miles and from Kagwada 22 miles.
The name Pojulu is derived from several sources. The Pojulu language can be differentiated from all the other Bari speakers from the way they pronounce words, for example how other Bari speakers say their greetings or how each group socialize—such as along the roads from Juba up to Lainya and from Lainya to Bereka and Wonduruba.
Resources The pojulu land is a blessed place which has many various resources which are located in the various communities and clans as rivers also known with Pojulu language as (Kare/Kareya) which include (Liwadi in Wuji land, Kiju in Wuji Land, Su'bi in Giwaya land, 'Borong in Wuji land, Jurtule in Mali land, Museru river in Mogiri land, Giborong river in Wuji land, Dimot river in Muring land, Paja River in Mogiri land, Komi River found in between Yaribe land and Mundu land, Lire River in Lumuro, Koya river found in Limbe land, Loku Nyede River found in Kupera land, kumbajite River found in Bori land, Tengelepo River found in Bori land, Lopijojo River found in Bori land, Lire River found in Limuro land) among others and the land of the pojulu people is also blessed with mountains which are locally called with the Pojulu language as (Mere/Mereya) which include (Kemiru mountain found in Giwaya land, Mungoyo mountain found Mogiri land, Yoga mountain found in Mogiri land. Goryayan mountain found in Kweresak land, Kunirö mountain found in Kweresak land, Rogo mountain found in Wuji land Loduya mountain found in Kweresak land, Lozurya mountain found in Giwaya land, Bongile mountain found in Bori land, and Losira mountain found in Pirisa land, Gokiri mountain fouind in Gokiri land, Koro'be mountain) among others. other resources which are also available include the swamps, forests valleys among many more.
Topography and weather The environment in Central Equatoria is typically tropical. There can be arid periods with less rain. The neighboring tribes are Bari to the east, Nyangwara to the north, Kakwa to the south, Mundu to the west, and Avukaya to the northwest.
Language The Pojulu people speak the Kutuk na Pojulu language, as other Karo people, but with particular dialectic variation which highlights the difference between the Pojulu among the Karo. This Bari language has some distinct variations linked to people's daily activities and traditions that have evolved over time from their experiences.
History
There is little knowledge about the origin of the Pojulu people, and their relation to the Bari and other Bari-speaking ethnic groups.
According to the 'Toposa Traditional History',Toposa Traditional History - authors; Allen Lochul and C.G. Peter the Bari-speaking people, of whom the Pojulu are an offshoot, are believed to have originated in the Kidepo Valley in the Kapoeta region. These Bari-speaking people were, however, forced out of Kapoeta and moved south and west by the Toposa, who are also believed to have migrated from Masindi port of Uganda. Being strong warriors, the Toposa raided and fought the Bari-speaking groups and took their girls, boys, women, and stock animals.
Therefore, the roots of the Pojulu community were traced through the use of linguistics and oral traditions to Bari ancestors in Kapoeta. The present Pojulu people are therefore pure descendants of in-common Bari ancestors through kinship. The present Toposa live in the Kidepo Valley, where the Pojulu originated. Statistically, the 21st-century Pojulu population is over 86,000 people (2004 estimate).
In the past, the Pojulu forged a rare alliance with Muru, Mundu against the marauding Azande armies. This cut off the main Azande force and led to the formation of the Makaraka.
Ancestral dispersion Source:
The common ancestor of Bari groups was called Julu Lo Jululon. The dispersion of the Bari group from Kapoeta region might have been caused by several factors, which include: Tribal wars in Kapoeta Drought which made people move about looking for water, food and pasture for their cattle and large tracts of land for agriculture Population explosion
This common Julu Lo Jululon ancestor, together with all his people followed the Nile and settled along the Eastern Bank of the White Nile. From here a second dispersion took place possibly due to pressure for more land. It is from here where the Pojulu (are believed to have) declared their independence from the major Bari group, broke away, crossed the Nile westwards and continued their journey up to Gumbiri near the present geographical zone.
In the Gumbiri area, a third or final dispersion of the Pojulu people took place probably due to power struggle or lack of enough agricultural land. Then the Pojulu settled down in their present geographical locations. This was before the European Scramble for Africa.
The pre-history of the genesis of the Pojulu people originating from Kapoeta is illustrated by the similarities in the studies of linguistics and oral histories of the Toposa, Bari and the Pojulu peoples. These three groups have similar words in their languages:
Example Goat Salt Sun Pojulu/Bari Kine 'Balang Kolong Toposa Nyakine Nyabalang NyakolongLotuko Akine Abalang Akolong Teso (Uganda) Akine Abalang Akolong
Ethnic violence
For most of the South Sudanese Civil War, the fighting was focused in the Greater Upper Nile region. After the clashes in Juba in 2016, the fighting largely shifted to the previously safe haven of Equatoria, where the bulk of SPLM-IO forces went for shelter. Accounts point to both sides targeting civilians on ethnic lines between the Dinka and the dozens of ethnic groups among the Equatorian who are historically in conflict with the Dinka, such as the Karo, who include the Bari. Witnesses report Dinka soldiers threatening villagers that they will kill all Kakwa, another Karo people, for their alleged support to Machar and killing Pojulu people while sparing those who they find can speak Dinka. A UN investigation said rape was being used a tool of ethnic cleansing and Adama Dieng, the U.N.'s Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide, warned of genocide after visiting areas of fighting in Yei.
Agriculture The Pojulu economy is predominantly agrarian. The majority of Pojulu people are peasants practicing mixed farming: subsistence agriculture in which the main crops are cassava, sorghum, maize, simsim, groundnut, wheat, sweet potatoes, cabbages, beans, onions, tomatoes, okra, etc. The Pojulu keep goats, sheep, few pigs, chicken, ducks and cattle in some suitable areas due to the prevalence of tsetse fly which rendered cattle herding very difficult.
The Loka Plantation Teak forest is the largest teak plantation in Africa. The planted forest reserves within the Pojulu area are at Kawale, Lijo, Loka West, and Nuni.sciaf.org.uk - Loka Plantation Teak; Loka Women's Association
There are different seasons for planting and land preparation by the pojulu, April and May is for land preparation July and August is for planting and November for harvesting.
Agrarian economy
The Pojulu Economy depends largely on subsistence production. It is an economy which aims to meet the daily food needs of the Pojulu community. Activities range from reliance on animal husbandry to total dependence on crop production. The Pojulu use human labor combined with the most elementary tools locally made. This primitive mode of production has always dominated the livelihood of the Pojulu.
The Pojulu grow both staple and cash crops. The staple crops are for consumption and include cassava (banda) maize (baya), sorghum (jeri), simsim (konyung), beans (janjaru), cow peas (loputu), pigeon peas (burukusuk) and groundnuts (pulu). The cash crops include tobacco, cotton, coffee, and timber. The Pojulu people also harvest the wild fruits as food which some are locally called by the Pojulu language as Pete (Tamarin), Malat, Kendilu, Lomudi, Kasaram, Ngulube. They also obtained best cooking oil from local tree seeds which goes via various process after frying called Kumuroand konyung in the Pojulu language.
The Pojulu are not sophisticated in agricultural implements. They use local agricultural tools made locally by their own blacksmiths, using scrap iron. The local blacksmiths produce tools such as hoe (kole), sickle (megeles), axe (balata), arrow (gorr), spear (lowe), and knives (wale).
Animal wealth in Pojulu land includes goats (yidid), sheep (kabelok), chickens (sokorok), and cattle (kisok). They are raised for food, marriage, dowries, and as animal cash crop earning the Pojulu money to enable them to purchase other goods and services not locally made in their place.
Collective farming The Pojulu practice "Mole"—a type of collective farming where a group of 5 to 10, or more people—are called to clear a field for a neighbor or relative in one or two days. Here, a goat is slaughtered, and beer is brewed for these people. This system of farming is advantageous. It clears hectares of land just in a day or so. "Lukonin" is also practiced, where two or more people agree to work in their farms on rotational basis. This system also saves time and effort. Women also do the same during preparation of land for planting and weeding of crops.
Subsistence agriculture Past colonial regimes did nothing to improve the Pojulu reliance on subsistence agriculture. Successive Arab governments since Sudan independence perpetuated this primitive mode of production. The continuous civil wars exacerbated the problems until the 2011 formation of South Sudan. However, despite the practice of subsistence agriculture, the Pojulu never suffered a major famine. There was self-sufficiency in food production for local consumption in the Pojulu community. This food sufficiency is now sustaining the remnants from the civil wars in the Pojulu land.
Pojulu chiefs The Pojulu chiefs play a great role in encouraging agricultural production. In the villages, chiefs pass local orders banning people from coming to the town or local station in the mornings. Bars for "Kwete" can be closed until noon, resulting in morning work at the farms. The chiefs are polygamous. Citizens volunteer to grow food crops for chiefs and their families. Meanwhile, during visits to the villages, the chiefs return food to needy families, a 'Pojulu food relief program.'
Culture
Like other communities, the Pojulu have evolved an oral culture expressed in songs, poems, dance, music, folklore, magic.