Mutomboko – War dance of the Luba-Lunda – Kriegstanz der Luba-Lunda

As a westerner, being part of Mutomboko ceremony seems to be an entire series of puzzling moments, but if you think hard enough, you will recognize striking similarities to our own societies. Not that the bewilderment would go away. Als Europäer an der Mutomboko-Zeremonie teilzunehmen, heißt, sich einer ganzen Reihe von verwirrenden Erfahrungen auszusetzen. Wenn […]

Mansa & the African children – Mansa & die afrikanischen Kinder

Mansa is the capital of Zambia´s northeastern Luapula province right at the border to the DR Congo. It has got a population of around 40.000 people, a Shoprite supermarket, a gas station, schools and the provincial government, but in the end Mansa feels just like a village, like a huge dispersed settlement. There is a […]

Samfya & Lake Bangweulu – Samfya & Bangweulu-See

On the way to the north Samfya, Lake Bangweulu and the eponymous swamps are the gate to a, tourism-wise, completely undeveloped part of Zambia. Samfya is a sleepy little town with estimated 20.000 residents. It is the biggest village around the lake, which is 40 x 60 kilometers wide with seasonal variations, but the swamps […]

Lower Zambezi River – Am Sambesi-Unterlauf

Zambezi River is the fourth longest river in Africa next to River Nile, Kongo River and Niger River with a length of 2.574 kilometres. It rises in dense miombo woodland in Zambias utmost northwest. After a few kilometres, Zambezi River passes the border to Angola where it flows to the southwest for another 240 kilometres […]

Through the vastness of Zambia / Durch die Weiten Sambias

The landlocked country Zambia that had been a part of the British protectorate of Northern Rhodesia since 1890 encompasses 752.614 km2 which makes it twice as large as Germany – but with only 18 Million inhabitants most of which are living in the big cities. The country is the place where south, central, and east […]

Kidepo Valley National Park

Coming from the south from Kotido and heading for Kidepo Valley National Park, you first pass Kaabong, home of Karamojas northernmost ATM. Along those 80 kilometres, the landscape is gradually changing, it is a rolling landscape now with several rock formations and small mountains. In this appealing location, Kaabong is the last town before Kidepo […]

Nakapelimoru & the Karamojong – Nakapelimoru & die Karamojong

100 kilometres north of Moroto lies Kotido, a small and either dusty or muddy town in the centre of the huge Karamoja plains. Undistinguishable Kotido is mainly interesting because of its proximity to Nakapelimoru, one of the largest traditional settlements in eastern Africa. Approximately 10.000 Karamojong are living in Nakapelimoru. The settlement consists of traditional […]

Moroto & the Tepeth – Moroto & die Tepeth

Moroto is a sleepy but pleasant small town at the foot of the 3.084 metres high Mount Moroto right at the border to Kenya. As a home for 15.000 inhabitants, Moroto is the biggest urban centre in Uganda’s north-eastern province of Karamoja. Apart from few bigger settlements with modern architecture and concrete buildings, the Karamojong […]

Mbale

Mbale is a pleasant town in eastern Uganda with approximately 100.000 inhabitants. Located on 1.200 m altitude, Mbale has a moderate climate amidst an incredibly attractive landscape close to Mount Elgon. It is only 60 km to the Kenyan border, and there are quite some smuggled goods on the local markets. Mbale ist eine angenehme […]

Kitgum – Reconciliation at the centre of terror – Versöhnung im Zentrum des Schreckens

Kitgum is a calm and relaxed town at the centre of northern Uganda, and it wouldn´t be worth mentioning, if Kitgum and it´s 45.000 inhabitants had not been the centre of power of Joseph Kony and his Lord´s Resistance Army (LRA) for years. That was from where the pseudo-religious, fanaticised butchers covered the north with […]