Richard Buchta - Avokaya man with bow and spear

The Avukaya are an ethnic group of

South Sudan South Sudan (), officially the Republic of South Sudan, is a landlocked country in East Africa. It is bordered on the north by Sudan; on the east by Ethiopia; on the south by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda and Kenya; and on the ...

. Some members of this ethnic have fled to the

Democratic Republic of the Congo The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), also known as the DR Congo, Congo-Kinshasa, or simply the Congo (the last ambiguously also referring to the neighbouring Republic of the Congo), is a country in Central Africa. By land area, it is t ...

due to persecution. About 50,000 members of this ethnic group live in South Sudan. Many members of this ethnic group belong to the Christian minority of South Sudan. The Avukaya traditionally live in a rain-forest area in

Equatoria Equatoria is the southernmost region of South Sudan, along the upper reaches of the White Nile and the border between South Sudan, Uganda, Kenya, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Juba, the national capital is the largest city in South S ...

close to the

Democratic Republic of Congo The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), also known as the DR Congo, Congo-Kinshasa, or simply the Congo (the last ambiguously also referring to the neighbouring Republic of the Congo), is a country in Central Africa. By land area, it is t ...

in Southern Sudan. Historically, the Avokaya people are originally in Maridi town, Mambe, Bahr-Olo and Amaki. Besides Maridi, the Avukaya people are found in Tore Payam, Yei town, Bangolo Payam in Mundri West and other towns of the Sudan too. The Avokaya are the group of ethnic tribes that combined with the Moru on the mountains to put an end to the King Gbudwe of the Azande invasion of their territory. They are known for a dance called Mamburuku and socialisation with other tribes. Many speak Pa-Zande, Moru and Baka languages in addition to Avokaya. The Avukaya commonly enjoy Pirinda with Nyasa (food made of

sorghum ''Sorghum bicolor'', commonly called sorghum () and also known as great millet, broomcorn, guinea corn, durra, imphee, jowar, or milo, is a species in the Poaceae, grass genus ''Sorghum (genus), Sorghum'' cultivated for its grain. The grain i ...

millet Millets () are a highly varied group of small-seeded grasses, widely grown around the world as cereal crops or grains for fodder and human food. Most millets belong to the tribe Paniceae. Millets are important crops in the Semi-arid climate, ...

cassava ''Manihot esculenta'', common name, commonly called cassava, manioc, or yuca (among numerous regional names), is a woody shrub of the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae, native to South America, from Brazil, Paraguay and parts of the Andes. Although ...

flour). They also like some wild fruits Omi and Kaniki) and yams.

External links

Overview of Avukaya on gurtong.net
Central Sudanic peoples Ethnic groups in the Democratic Republic of the Congo Ethnic groups in South Sudan {{SouthSudan-ethno-group-stub