Brief History of Equatoria

° Territory

In Southern Sudan, the Equatoria region is bordered by Bahr el Ghazal in the West and Northwest and by the Upper Nile region in the North and Northeast. The Equatoria region is bordered by the following African countries; Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Central African Republic. The old Equatoria name is Mongollo provoince.

° The People

The people of Equatoria Region come from the counties of Budi, Ezo, Juba, Kajokeji, Kapoeta, Magwi, Maridi, Mundri, Terekeka, Tombura, Torit, Yambio, and Yei. Equatoria is inhabited by the following ethnolinquistic groups:   • The Nilo-Hamitic speaking group: Toposa, Tenet, Teuth, Tid, Horiok, Otuho, Lango, Larim, Lokoya,      Lopit, Bari, and Mundari.   • The Moru-Madi speaking group: Moru, Avukaya, Keliko, Lugbwara, Madi and Lulubo.   • The Western Bari-Speaking group: Nyangwara, Pajullo, Kakwa, Kuku, Mundu and Nyefu.   • The Didinga speaking groups: Didinga, Longarim and Beir.   • The Nilotic-Speaking (Luo) group: Berri (Anuak) of Lafon and the Acholi.   • The Bantu-Speaking group: Azande and Balanda of Western Equatoria.

° EArly History of Equatoria

In the 19 the Century, Egypt had control of Sudan and established the Equatoria province to further Egyptian interests over the Nile River. Equatoria was established by British explorer, Samuel Baker in 1870. Sir Baker was sent by Egyptian authorities to establish trading posts along the White Nile and Gondokoro, a trading center located on the east bank of the White Nile in Southern Sudan. Gondokoro was an important center since it was located within a few miles from the cutoff point of navigability of the Nile from Khartoum. It is presently located near the city of Juba in Equatoria. Sir Baker's attempt to create additional trading posts and control Equatoria was unsuccessful because villages surrounding Gondokoro were frequently attacked by Arab raiders. The Arab raiders attacked Equatorian villages and forced people into slavery. The raiders met resistance from Equatorian tribes such as the Azande, Bari , Lokoya, Otuho, and Pari. Upon attack these ethnolinquistic groups sent a word of war and men in the villages joined in the attack to resist the Arab raiders. At the end of Sir Baker's service as governor, British soldier Charles George Gordon was appointed governor of Sudan. Gordon took over in 1874 and administered the region until 1876. He was more successful in creating additional trading posts in the area. In 1876, Gordon's views clashed with those of the Egyptian governor of Khartoum forcing him to go back to London. In 1878 Gordon was succeeded by the Chief Medical Officer of the Equatoria province, Eduard Carl Oscar popularly known as Mehemet Amin Pasha. Amin Pasha made his headquarters at Lado. Amin Pasha had little influence over the area because the Khartoum governor was uninterested in his development proposals for the Equatoria region. In 1881, Muhammad Ahmad Abdullah, a Muslim religious leader, proclaimed himself the Mahdi "expected one" and began jihad war to unify the tribes of Western and Central Sudan including Equatoria. By 1833 the Mahdist had cut off outside communications however, Amin Pasha managed to request assistance from Britain via Buganda. The British sent the Amin Pasha Relief Expedition in 1886 to rescue Amin from the Mahdist Revolt. The expedition was called the Advance and it was equipped with the newly invented Maxim guns, the first machine gun. The Expedition navigated up the Congo River and then through the Ituri Forest trek, one of the most difficult forest routes in Africa resulting in the loss of two-thirds of the Amin Pasha expedition and the fall of Equatoria to the Mahdists in 1885. In 1898, the Mahdist state was overthrown by the Anglo Egyptian force led by British Field Marshall and Statesman, Lord Kitchener. Sudan was proclaimed a condominium under British-Egyptian administration and Equatoria was administered by the British.