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THE LOGIR PEOPLE Overview Logir is the name and the language of an indigenous ethnic group that is part of the Eastern Nilo-Hamites who live in far Eastern Equatoria of South Sudan. The Logir are found in Torit and Kapoeta district, they inhabit along the two boundary lines of Kapoeta and Torit district. Logir reside along kidepo in Ikotos County at Torit district, and part of them live in Losolia and Likor, Kapoeta East County (Kapoeta district). The main areas Logir live at both Torit and Kapoeta district are; Losolia, Likor, Ramla, Lodwara, Chorocol and Chahari. These areas are subdivided into around 50 sub villages. Logir of Torit district are categorised as Monyiemiji (Nekosowa) or Otuho Speaking People, while the ones that inhabit Kapoetas are termed as Ateker (Toposa) although in 2010 the Logir of Kapoeta district raised a motion in Eastern Equatoria State (South Sudan) parliament urging that they should be recognized as Logir entity/tribe in Kapoeta district like their Logir brethren of Torit district. The word Monyiemiji or Nekosowa means youths that has undergone a traditional age-set generational transformation. Ateker people in South Sudan comprise of Jie, Nyangatom, and Toposa. Ateker means clan. However this document emphasized much on Logir of Torit district. Chahari Oral History had it that Logir is the principle backbone that procreated the Monyiemiji or Otuho Speaking People of South Sudan. The eleven ethnic communities that formed Monyiemiji or Otuho Speaking people are; Logir, Teuso, Ketebo, Loruama, Dongotono, Lokwa, Otuho, Imotong, Horiok, Lopit and Lokoya. Logir of Torit district practice Monyiemiji (Youth) Age-Set generation System and they have much similarity in language, culture and history of emigration with the Otuho People. The Logir of Torit district also shares some cultural, historical root of origin and immigration with the Toposa and Other Ateker People. Logir is one of the ethnic tribes that have clear traceable ancestor (Logira) and comprehensible root of origin. However oral history and the strategic location of spots occupied by Logir had revealed that the Logir people are a complex group of Nilo-hamites section in South Sudan. Apparently, some parts of Logir habitats were melting points of Monyiemiji, Ateker and Surmic groups as well a breeding zone for many sections that traced their origin back to Ethiopia/Kenya/Uganda. Surmic people in South Sudan consist of Didinga, Buya/Longarim, Tenet, Murle and Kachipo. The Karo people alternatively called the Bari Speakers are a combination of Bari, Kakwa, Kuku, Mundari, Nyangwara and Pojulu, Karo means brethren or relatives. Logir are only found in South Sudan, other communities in East Africa that have some slight similarities with Logir includes the Massai, Samburu, Turkana, Teso and many more others. Definition, Geography and Demography of Logir People The word “Logir” means identity, it refer to people of Logir descent, it implies people that belong to grey ox origin, and it also means people or descendants of an ancestor called “Logira”. Logir is one of the ethnic communities or tribes of Africa that emerged systematically from an ancestor into a family, then to a clan (HangLogir) and finally transformed into a tribe (Logir) like the story of Jacob in the Old Testament Bible that evolved gradually from an ancestor (Jacob) through a family into a powerful small nation called “Jacob/Israel’ today. HangLogir means clan of Logir, and NgaLogira means people of Logir(a) or descendants of Logir(a). However, Logir are plain Nilo-Hamites group of people that live in plains but closer to the mountains, they aren’t highland people because they don’t live on top of mountains like some NiloHamites sections. Today Logir rank the 33rd ethnic tribe that constitute the 64 or more communities of South Sudan Nation. The Logir people emigrated from Kenya (Lodwar) hundreds of years ago to South Sudan as a nucleous family together with their cattle, at the time of emigrations of Monyiemiji, Maa, Ateker, Kalenjin, Surmic, Karo and other related groups to their present countries. In Torit district, the Logir live in a big fast terrain thread of land that stretches from Lodeker at the eastern side of Logir that has boundaries with loruama, to the western side of Logir that has boundaries with Otuho; from the Southern direction alongside the boundaries with Ikotos at Iyak, to the northern side alongside boundary hills with the didinga and buya of Kapoeta District. However, the main villages of the Logir in Torit district are; Ramla, Lodwara, Chorocol and Chahari, these four main villages are subdivided into more subvillages, which make up the entire Logir community in Torit district. While in Kapoeta district the Logir clan {NgaLogira or Hanglogir} live in Losolia and Likor at Kapoeta East County with other communities. Some Logir of Kapoeta district had also scattered all over Rwoto (Kapoeta North), and parts of Kor (Kapoeta East) at kide. Losolia is located in Kapoeta East and it has boundaries with Kidepo area, BuDi County and it has respective borders with Uganda and Kenya. Kapoeta East is the biggest County in South Sudan that has three inter-continental borders with Ethiopia, Kenya and Uganda. Currently there is a dispute between Kenya and South Sudan over some part of Losolia Land whereby both countries are claiming that particular place as belonged to them. Kapoeta East County is also the richest and populous part of Eastern Equatoria State that has abundant untapped resources. According to the population census conducted by Sudan on April 2008, the population of the Logir in Torit District at kidepo in Ikotos County was estimated to be 59,388 (this population figure excludes the Logir of Kapoeta district). Reputation and Appearance of Logir People Ancient Logir warriors liked holding spears and wearing beads, but nowadays they carry small arms and light weight weapons 24 hrs. Early Logir women wore bangles, strings of colored beads around their neck and wastes. With earrings beautifully placed in their ear lobules, they take pride in stretching large holes in their lips. Both man and women plate hair and have the four of their canine teeth removed. The women used to cover their braided hair with a fatty ochre paste (namerie), which is not common anymore. The women generally had shaved or plated heads (head-shaving is a significant feature of some rituals, both for men and women). The primeval Logir people were gigantic and yellow brownish black people with semi curly hair. It was not easy to differentiate Logir from the Toposa, Dodos, Karamojong and Maasai until early 19thC, when widespread intermarriage took place between Logir people and the neighboring communities. Logir were medium tall heights; their physical appearance was elegantly muscular, much closer to the Maasai of Kenya. But due to intensive intermarriage with the neighboring communities their ancient physical features are now compromised. People used to identify the Logir by their language only from Toposa, when they were taking cattle for sale in Torit town until early 1980s, before the civil war of Sudan intensified.