Ethiopia 3 - Omo River tribesmen with rifles

Tribal warfare is a way of life in these regions, and cattle raids and killings are part of the initiation of any young man of good family. Like notches on a gun belt, horseshoe-shaped scars on the upper arms of Mursi or Bodi warriors mark the number of their victims. Serial killers are sought after as husbands.

The Omo is oddly reminiscent of the American West in the nineteenth century: life revolves around cattle, gunplay, and getting the girl. Only the guns are different. In the Omo, AK47’s are de rigeur. Of all the modern technologies that the world has to offer these peoples, the only one to make an impact is the automatic rifle.

Stanley Stewart  (to be continued)