The Pojulu (or Pajulu) is a tribe of the savanna lands in the White Nile Valley, in the Equatoria region of South Sudan. They are Nilotic people and part of the Karo people — which also includes Bari, Mundari, Kakwa, Kuku, Nyangwara, and the Karo Tribes Of Omo Valley in Ethiopia such as the Banna, Hamer, Mursi, Kara, Dassanech, Arbore, Nyangatom known as the Omo Karo peoples.
The Pojulu differentiate into smaller clans of Nyori, Morsak, Wonduruba, Goduck, Lobora, Moje, Mulusuk, Pirisa, Malari, Mankaro, Sadim, Jomi, Nyigo, Komojok, Limbe, Mundu, Jebele, Maranga, Donni, Gokoni, Borri, Moyita, Gojang, Liggi, Soka, Yondoru, Mijibura, Wande and many more.
Geography
The majority of the Pojulu population are located in Lainya county Central Equatoria state, including Mukaya Payam. The Pojulu are also found in Juba and Yei county. Pojulu people also occupy the area from Lainya to Kagwada and Mukaya. The centre of Pojulu will be Kenyi Payam from Mundu 20 miles, Mukaya 18 miles, Wonduruba 21 miles, Bereka 15 miles, Lainya 9 miles and from Kagwada 22 miles.
The name Pojulu is derived from several sources. The Pojulu language can be differentiated from all the other Bari speakers from the way they pronounce words, for example how other Bari speakers say their greetings or how each group socialize — such as along the roads from Juba up to Lainya and from Lainya to Bereka and Wonduruba.
Topography and weather
The environment in Central Equatoria is typically tropical. There can be arid periods with less rain. The neighbouring tribes are Bari to the east, Nyangwara to the north, Kakwa to the south, Mundu to the west, and Avukaya to the northwest.
Language
The Pojulu people speak the Kutuk na Pojulu language, as other Karo people, but with particular dialectic variation which highlights the difference between the Pojulu among the Karo. This Bari language has some distinct variations linked to people's daily activities and traditions that have evolved over time from their experiences.
History
There is little knowledge about the origin of the Pojulu as a people, and their relation to the Bari and other Bari-speaking ethnic groups.
According to the 'Toposa Traditional History', the Bari-speaking people, of whom the Pojulu are an offshoot, are believed to have originated in the Kidepo Valley in the Kapoeta region. These Bari-speaking people were, however, forced out of Kapoeta and moved south and west by the Toposa, who are also believed to have migrated from Masindi port of Uganda. Being strong warriors, the Toposa raided and fought the Bari-speaking groups and took their girls, boys, women, and stock animals.
Therefore, the roots of the Pojulu community were traced through the use of linguistics and oral traditions to Bari ancestors in Kapoeta. The present Pojulu people are therefore pure descendants of in-common Bari ancestors through kinship. The present Toposa live in the Kidepo Valley, where the Pojulu originated. Statistically, the 21st-century Pojulu population is over 86,000 people (2004 estimate).
In the past, the Pojulu forged a rare alliance with Muru, Mundu against the marauding Azande armies. This cut off the main Azande force and led to the formation of the Makaraka.
Ancestral dispersion
The common ancestor of Bari groups was called Julu Lo Jululon. The dispersion of the Bari group from Kapoeta region might have been caused by several factors, which include: Tribal wars in Kapoeta Drought which made people move about looking for water, food and pasture for their cattle and large tracts of land for agriculture Population explosion
This common Julu Lo Jululon ancestor, together with all his people followed the Nile and settled along the Eastern Bank of the White Nile. From here a second dispersion took place possibly due to pressure for more land. It is from here where the Pojulu (are believed to have) declared their independence from the major Bari group, broke away, crossed the Nile westwards and continued their journey up to Gumbiri near the present geographical zone.
In the Gumbiri area, a third or final dispersion of the Pojulu people took place probably due to power struggle or lack of enough agricultural land. Then the Pojulu settled down in their present geographical locations. This was before the European Scramble for Africa.
The pre-history of the genesis of the Pojulu people originating from Kapoeta is illustrated by the similarities in the studies of linguistics and oral histories of the Toposa, Bari and the Pojulu peoples. These three groups have similar words in their languages: