Rural Murle Age-Set Men Tackling Elites in South Sudan

Authors

• Juhanna Sankelo University of Helsinki https://orcid.org/0009-0000-7774-6044
• Paulino Jijiyo Murle society

DOI: https://doi.org/10.30676/jfas.141624

Abstract

The Murle age system is often presented in a negative light in the South Sudan conflict reporting, which links age-set activities to communal violence, cattle rustling, and the abduction of women and children. Such assessments by outsiders overlook the positive effects of age-sets on interethnic relations in rural areas, where young people follow the Murle tradition and navigate the complex influence networks of Murle society. We focus on pastoral Murle youth in Pibor born in the 1980s and 1990s—that is, the laŋo age-set. By drawing on in-depth life-story interviews, this article studies how Murle laŋo masculinity is constructed, embodied, and negotiated. The analysis of our ethnographic data exemplifies how early childhood emotional bonds with caregivers, conflicts, and marginalisation impact the life trajectory of one Murle man. Our results show the connectedness of political orientation, tradition, and masculinity to intergenerational conflict and competition for political and societal power in Murle society. The study increases our understanding of Murle laŋo men’s survival strategies. Specifically, it shows that these rural marginalised Murle youth build alliances beyond kinship and ethnic ties, defend land, advance the goal of peace with neighbours, volunteer for unpaid community work to fight idleness, and act as a counter force to prevent manipulation by political and military leaders.

Zɔɔz

Zɔɔz nici ɔp bayiz ci ɔl o maac een murle abaak Murla, ki gɔl ci bayizo, ki gɔl ci ganonto been culanɛ ci kobɛkɛ ɔl kaal. Gi ci titiny bayize ceen murlen nɛɛn, buluwa kibeen kerenɛ ogi o murle gɔɔn anya bayiz o gɛɛr gɔɔn aruwɔn ɔl, ma kɔran tiin moda ma kagaman ŋai ki dɔɔl ci modo. Mazin liŋliŋɔnti nici aŋamnek kaal o abon agɔɔn bulowa o abaak murla loce o ɔl o kolik een junup ŋawo azɔɔzi kaal o bayiz uneŋ murlo. Ma golowa ci kaŋamneka kalyanit o bayiz o een murlen, ayelza rɔŋrɔŋanɔnɛt ci arɔrɔŋanɔn nigi ki, gɔɔl ci adiŋdiŋani Jowanɛ o adilyai, gɔl ci siaso, ki kɛranɛ, ki kaal ci akati ŋayetin ki jorɛnɛɛn zɛɛ been ŋɛrɔn ci aŋɛrɔɔn alata o murlo aŋɛrɛ sias giye ci arɔɔŋi rum o. Bayizi ween aturuwen aroŋnyi, ayelzai bule o kazi lango, agamta nigi bayiz ci aromɛn niŋgi dook kodoye, ma arican ganɔɔn ma buk ɔp calaŋ aŋɛɛr nɔgɔ siasa karabɔŋ een zɔɔz ci takirzetu.

Keywords: masculinity, laŋo, life story, tradition, elites, Murle, South Sudan