The Nyangatom also known as Donyiro and pejoratively as Bumé are
Nilotic
The Nilotic peoples are people indigenous to the Nile Valley who speak Nilotic languages. They inhabit South Sudan, Sudan, Ethiopia, Uganda, Kenya, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Burundi and Tanzania. Among these are the Burun-sp ...
agro-pastoralists inhabiting the border of southwestern
Ethiopia
Ethiopia, , om, Itiyoophiyaa, so, Itoobiya, ti, ኢትዮጵያ, Ítiyop'iya, aa, Itiyoppiya officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country in the Horn of Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the ...
, southeastern
South Sudan
South Sudan (; din, Paguot Thudän), officially the Republic of South Sudan ( din, Paankɔc Cuëny Thudän), is a landlocked country in East Africa. It is bordered by Ethiopia, Sudan, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the C ...
, and the
Ilemi Triangle.
They speak the
Nyangatom language
Nyangatom (also Inyangatom, Donyiro, Dongiro, Idongiro) is a Nilotic language spoken in Ethiopia by the Nyangatom people
The Nyangatom also known as Donyiro and pejoratively as Bumé are Nilotic agro-pastoralists inhabiting the border of southw ...
.
Overview
The Nyangatom are members of the
Ateker or Karamojong cluster that also contains the
Turkana,
Toposa,
Karamojong, and
Jie who speak closely related languages. They number approximately 30,000
with populations in both South Sudan and Ethiopia. Many Nyangatom are nomadic, residing in mobile livestock villages that may migrate several times a year. A substantial number of Nyangatom also reside in semi-permanent villages. It is common for individuals to move between mobile cattle camps and semi-permanent villages.
The Nyangatom have intermittent conflict with many of their neighbors, especially the
Turkana,
Dassanetch
The Daasanach (also known as the Marille or Geleba) are a Cushitic ethnic group inhabiting parts of Ethiopia, Kenya, and South Sudan. Their main homeland is in the Debub Omo Zone of the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and People's Region, adjace ...
, and
Suri.
Despite the risk of intergroup conflict, many Nyangatom have bond friends with members of other groups and there are trade relationships between the Nyangatom and many of their neighbors.
Along with other groups in the
Lower Omo Valley
The Omo River (also called Omo-Bottego) in southern Ethiopia is the largest Ethiopian river outside the Nile Basin. Its course is entirely contained within the boundaries of Ethiopia, and it empties into Lake Turkana on the border with Kenya. Th ...
, the Nyangatom face challenges to their future subsistence and cultural traditions due to large-scale agricultural projects occurring in their territory.
External links
BBC program Tribe, July 2006Website for Nyangatom Anthropology
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nyangatom People
Ethnic groups in Ethiopia
Ethnic groups in South Sudan
Ethiopia–South Sudan relations