01/08/2025
The Blood Brothers - Shared ancestry and identity among the Dinka, Nuer, Shilluk and Bari of South Sudan (Part 3)
By Joe Mabor
Genetic Bonds ā Blood brothers
Genetic research supports linguistic kinship. A landmark study by Tishkoff et al. (2009), which examined over 121 African populations and 60 non-African ones, found that Nilo-Saharan and Chadic speakers formed a distinct genetic cluster. Nilo-Saharan-speaking populations from South Sudan, Nigeria, and central Chad grouped together, suggesting a shared ancestry.
āChadic-speaking and Nilo-Saharanāspeaking populations from Nigeria, Cameroon, and central Chad, as well as several Nilo-Saharanāspeaking populations from southern Sudan, constitute another cluster (red)ā.
Further analysis of East African populations in the study revealed subclusters aligning with linguistic divisions. Nilotic populations formed a genetic cluster distinct from Central Sudanic ones, reflecting thousands of years of divergence.
The paternal linage, Y-Chromosome, of Sudanese populations has been studied by Hisham Y. Hassan and his team, before South Sudan gained its independence, which gave a clear picture of the DNA structure of South Sudanese. The South Sudanese populations included in the study were Dinka, Nuer and Shilluk. Hassan and his team found the following haplogroups:
ā¢ A-M13(A3b2): Dinka - 62%, Shilluk - 53%, Nuer - 33%
ā¢ B-M60: Dinka - 23%, Shilluk - 27%, Nuer - 50%
ā¢ E-M78: Dinka - 15%, Shilluk - 20%, Nuer - 17%
A haplogroup is a genetic classification of individuals sharing a common ancestor based on a specific genetic marker. What you can see here is a strong presence of the A and B Y-DNA haplogroups, found predominantly among Nilotic speakers and associated with ancient East African and Nile Valley populations. B-M60 is a common haplogroup for Bantu speaking populations. The high presence of B-M60 among Nuer may suggests high assimulation of Bantu speakers after their migration out of Gezira region. It is not known if Nuer/Naath were originally Luo or Dinka speakers but it is believed they migrated out of Gezira to āa barren dry land called Kwer Kwongā considered to be Southern Kordofan. Niger-Kordofan speakers common haplogroup is B-60. E-M78 is common about North African populations like Egyptians and others. Its significant presence among Nilotic speakers of South Sudan indicates either North Africa origin or significant interaction with the said populations in the ancient Nile Valley.
Anthropoloogists such as Peter J. Newcomer suggests that Nuer and Dinka are similair and that hundred of years of isolation and population growth led to the distinct groups. However, this is very much disputed as some experts believe Nuer were originally Luo speakers. It is important to note here that Nuer language althought grouped togather with Dinka and Atwot due to their high similarities, it is more similar to Luo languages like Shilluk than Dinka is similar to Shilluk. But on the other hand, Nuer and Dinka religions have the highest affirminity among the Niloticsā. The bottomline is that the shared DNA components among Nilotic speakers indicate recent common ancestry within the past thousand years.
I would like to mention breifly that studies have also found genetic proximity between South Sudanese and Meroitic-era Nubians, suggesting either direct descent or intermarriage in the Nile corridor. Studies from Tishkoff et al. (2009), Lazaridis et al. (2016), and more recently from ancient DNA projects in Kerma and Nubia (2022ā2023), confirm that Nilotic groups in South Sudan share a unique and ancient African heritage, mostly uninterrupted by later population waves from the north or east. This also reinforce the Southward nigrations of Nilotic populations from Sudan.
Reflection and Conclusion: United we stand, divided we fall
These scientific studies tell use that we are one people: we are blood brothers.
Does this means that our ancestors didnāt know that we are the same people?
No! Our ancestors knew themselves as brothers as attested by the oral stories. For instance, scholar Lewis Anei Madut-Kuendit documented how Dinka elders referred to Shilluk as the people of Achan, an ancient Dinka sister and knew Shilluk as DhĆøg, Shilluk ancestoral name. Dinka oral stories also claim Nuer to be their own brothers, apparently āPan-Manuer Ajangā linking them to the Jieng ancestor Ajang. Dinka Agaar call Nuer, people of Nyantoch Marol, the sister of Agaar Marol. Nuer and Luo also know Dinka by their ancestrol name as āJang/Jiengā, not as āDinkaā which is a a colonial era name. Such continuity in names and stories confirms our deep-rooted brotherhood.
Despite the deep genetic and linguistic unity of South Sudanese populations, modern history has painted a different picture. Picture of civil wars, political rivalries, and colonial legacies that have redefined ethnic identities as points of division rather than kinship.
Colonial rulers used ādivide and ruleā tactics to fragment solidarity communities, and post-independence political elites have continued this practice, deepening tribal divides for political gain. But beneath our differences runs a shared bloodline. The tribes of South Sudan are not enemies by natureāthey are one people scattered by history.
Reclaiming that truth is the first step toward the National healing, and toward building a future worthy of the greatness we once had as Kush*tes ā and can do again if we unite.
The writer, Joe Mabor, is a South Sudanese Software Engineer and Architect based in Germany. He currently works as Software Engineer and Technical Lead in Germany-based multinational IT company. He can be reached at [email protected] or via website: maboragany.com
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