Photographs of the first journey

For most Nuba it had been a long time since they had seen a gawadja. They were kind to me, considering the fact that I came with nothing but a camera.

Instead of the violence of war I had anticipated, I was confronted with a suffering that seemed too banal to be interesting. "We have no clothes, no shoes, no salt, no soap, no cooking pots, no coffee, no sugar, no tea, no clear drinking water, no schools, no books, no teachers, no medication, no doctors, no... " How was I supposed to show the war in the Nuba Mountains if there was no fighting? I couldn't just continue photographing poor people untill I ran out of film, could I?

In the end, that was what I did. I had the chance to photograph interesting rituals and dances among the more traditional of the Nuba tribes, but most of the time I found myself taking pictures of ordinary men and women trying to make the best of their lives in the middle of a dirty, hidden, creeping war.

The Nuba are not more beautiful than other people, not more true, not morally better, leave alone purer. I did get to know them as people who know how to laugh their troubles away. And considering the circumstances of their lives, that was pretty amazing.

Girls at the cultural festival

Women dancing

Wrestlers

Wrestler

The advisory council

The advisory cuncil; Julie Flint at work

The council

Voting

Girl soldiers

Woman on her way to the market

To the market

To the market

Cattle drinking

People drinking

School in Kauda

Komo village

Madrassa (Qur'an school)

Pupils of the madrassa


Yousif Kuwa

View from the Moro mountains

Yousif Kuwa talking to the people

Yousif Kuwa on his way to a name giving party in Jageba

View from the Tira plateau

Girl in Changaru

Girls from Tocho

Refugees in Mududi

Refugees in Mududi

Refugees in Mududi

Refugee in Mududi

Nema stepped on a landmine

Cutting trees for a church

Family living on a remote hill top

Old man

Moro scenery

Nafir: building a house in Um Djebrallah

Roofing in Um Djebrallah

Building a house in Um Djebrallah

Um Gebralla scenery

Sesame mill in Debkar

SPLA recruits

Recruits

Yousif Kuwa and Ummassar

Yousif and Ummassar with bodyguard

Tabanya (Korongo Hills)

Food in Tabanya (Black mullah)

Commander Eskiel Kuku

Guard in front of church

Profet announcing birth of Jesus

Tabanya, X-mas play: Yosef and Mary at the inn

Yosef, Maria and baby Jesus at a loss

Three wise women from the East at Herod's

Lice-ridden shepherds

Angels announcing the birth of Jesus

Frightened shepherds with angels

Woman in Dimodonjo (Korongo hills)

Burial site in Dimodonjo

Burial site

Kids (Dimodonjo)

Dimodonjo

Unfinished house (Dimodonjo)

Tabanya market

Fresh meat (Tabanya market)

Selling meat

At the market

Market stalls (Tabanya)

Soap, salt, medicine (Tabanya market)

Salt and medicine (Tabanya market)

In the plains, on the way to Fama

Supplies of the clinic in Fama

No wonder many people rely on the kujur for treatment

He drives out evil spirits with a spear

He's very powerful

Another kujur with family

She's a patient

She thought she was modelling for Elle

Pounding grain to flower


Kids building their own school

Sorghum in the plains

The people of Kululu were so incredibly happy

Baballah, the most powerful kujur, even consulted by Yousif Kuwa

Jokers in Korongo

Return later for new photos!