TURKANA WARRIORS
SONY WORLD PHOTOGRAPHY AWARDS SHORLISTED 2012
The drought which has ravaged the arid and semi-arid areas of the Horn of Africa in 2011, has imposed a great deal of pressure on the already scarce resources in the region, and exacerbated the persistent conflicts between the opposing pastoral tribes in the northern Kenya, the south of the Republic of South-Sudan, eastern Uganda and southern Ethiopia. Squeezed one towards the other on increasingly pressurized pastures, the tribes, traditional enemies, multiply attacks to expand their herds and take control of the limited water sources. Every herd boy owns a rifle, even those as young as ten.
After getting a gun, the young man Turkana must prove that he became a man by participating in a raid.
Each herd represents several thousand head of cattle, the only wealth of the Turkanas, who make no real trade.
Following a raid, the three camps attacked around Nanam had to migrate separately, making them more vulnerable.
A few kilometres from the South Sudanese border, three Turkanas camps migrate precipitously after being attacked by Toposas.
Turkana women dig wells with buckets in dry riverbeds.
In the distance, the Ugandan mountains where the Turkanas, Tepeth and Dodoth tribes compete for control of water points.
The scarifications that cover the chest of Kraal leader Lodoe show the number of men he killed.
20 years old Lokalei Ekuwam has already killed 4 Toposas with his AK-47. Here with his wife Ajem.
14 years old Lopua Ipacly and 12 years old Lokai Ekalapatan received their AK-47 of their fathers at the age of 10, so that they can defend their herds.
