 THE SOUTH |
In general the South is very beautiful, characterised by green forest, open parkland, waterfalls and treeless swamps abounding with birds and wild animals such as elephants, black and white rhinos, common eland, Nile lechwe, lesser kudu, bisa orux, zebra, crocodile, hippo, hyena, buffalo and the almost extinct shoebill. The Gemmeiza Tourist Village, situated in the heart of East Equatoria, is considered of special interest, owing to the abvundance of game in that area.
| WAR |
Unfortunately the South is very much off limits to tourists at the moment. Hopefully the recent (July 2001) peace initiative developments aided by the Libyan leader Gaddafi are helping this endless war which begun in 1950's and has since then continued on and off until now. The main reasons derive from the British colonial rule during which the South was not considered a priority region for any development, investment, education, health, infrastructure etc. Now, since the oil discoveries in 1997, there are new actors in the war and it has become a more complicated international issue, and very much a victim of the international propaganda and a battlefield for various interests.
| There are variations of stories about what is the reality and consequences of the war, but there are as many opinion s as there are storytellers. For some of the most objective reports see European Union and Commission reports, and also Carter Centre reports. The whole situation is a very sad story costing millions of lives, and it requires international attention but of those who are well-read and informed about the situation. Fortunately, there are many bodies who believe that now the oil and its potential revenues will bring the peace, which would be more than a gift to this country, which deserves a better future.
| LENI RIEFENSTAHL |
She is a controversial German photographer who lived with the Nuba tribe -"the most beautiful African tribe", in 1960-70's in the South of the Sudan learning their language and filming their cultural events and habits like famous wrestling and beautiful body painting. Her works on these Nuba people can be found in many bookshops, and it is clear that she managed to capture a historic period of time, which since then has ceased to exist. Though Leni Riefenstahl is a question mark herself due to her Nazi connections and even to the accusation that she only portrayed the Nuba tribe the way she wanted; through her desire to see them primitive, naked and aboriginal, she made the Sudan known for its beauty. |
