With an AK-47 slung across his back for protection, this Dinka pastoralist follows his cattle through Kotobi on the main road through town.

This photo depicts the commonality of weaponry, even in remote areas like this one in South Sudan. With its history of civil conflict, men, women, and children all own arms. When I lived in South Sudan in 2005-2006, ordinary people carrying their AK-47s during daily chores outside of the home was a common sight. Given this context, gunfights between men who had been drinking - or among families during civil disputes - were also "normal." Particularly in ethnic Dinka areas, where Dinka sub-tribes traditionally clash, carrying AK-47s and other guns is a simple means of protection.

Kotobi is approximately 150 miles directly south of Rumbek (the former interim capital of South Sudan), on the main road from Rumbek to Uganda.
While this road is an important throughfare for traffic between Sudan and Uganda, the road is a dirt road, built by the United Nations World Food Programme. After generations of civil war, South Sudan has only a few kilometers of paved road.

Kotobi, W. Mundri, South Sudan

Ref: IMG_1006

Photographer: Irene Abdou