The Suri also pride themselves on the number of scars they wear on their bodies. The women lift sections of skin with a thorn and then slice with a razor. The men tend to scar themselves after they have killed a rival. The point of this self-mutilation is thought to be something to do with getting the youngsters of the tribe acclimatized to a rough, bloody and vicious way of life. The men and children also like to paint themselves up on occasion:

This ancient and dramatic culture is under attack by modernisation, that must come as no surprise. But the direction of the attack is a little surprising. The African Parks Foundation which is a Dutch not-for-profit organisation that rehabilitates and manages national parks and protected areas has used some pretty dodgy tactics. The organisation needs the lands it manages to be profitable i.e. bring in tourists. No tourists are going to visit areas where there are youngsters with Kalashnikovs.

There are reports that government park officials have coerced Surma into putting their thumb prints onto documents they couldn’t read, tricking them into giving up their land for free. They are then pushed from their homelands unceremoniously. A similar thing happened to another tribe in the region called the Guji Oromo in 2004. That situation ended with park officials and local police torching their homes. Aren’t humans ace?

Although the African Parks Foundation left Ethiopia in 2008, it’s unlikely they will be the last official body to try to oust the tribe from their roots. It’s a sad fact that if your people have no cash, you have no rights. And if you have no rights, your days are numbered. In the mountains of Ethiopia no one can hear you scream.

☛ Next: Ota Benga – African Pygmy Tribesman Kept In Zoo