Zande people

The Azande ( Zande also, Zandeh, A- Zandeh, Sandeh, Zaude ) are an ethnic group in the north of Central Africa. Their number is estimated at one to four million.

They live mainly in the northern part of the DRC (Province of Upper Zaire ), in South Sudan ( Western Equatoria State ) and in the southeastern part of the Central African Republic (districts Rafaï, Zemio and Obo ). The Azande were to colonial time a closed tribal confederation, but whose individual chiefdoms placed themselves under any central leadership, as in the neighboring Dinka or Nuer.

Their language belongs to the same group of the Adamawa - Ubangi languages.

Most Azande belong to a religion of nature and believe in witchcraft and magic. Magic and witchcraft lodged with the Zande an important part of their lives and their understanding of life dar.

The Azande in the area of ​​present-day Central African Republic living in the Sultanate they founded Rafa. In the 19th century, Georg Schweinfurth spread the view that the Azande were cannibals.

In the first civil war in southern Sudan, the Azande supported the rebel movement Anya Nya - who fought for the South autonomy or independence. In the second civil war, however, their relationship with the Dinka -dominated SPLA rebel army was rather distant.

Origin of the name

Azande translated means people who own a lot of land and refers to their history as conquerors who formerly dominated large parts of present-day Sudan.

The name Niam - Niam was often used by foreigners in the 19th and early 20th century and probably originates from the language of the Dinka. Niam Niam - means there as much as big eaters, but is now considered to be pejorative and should not be used accordingly.