Open Category: Photojournalism / Story (AMATEUR) - HONORABLE MENTION
Living in Fear
Photo © Jan Møller Hansen
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Gurdi is small village situation along the banks of the river Nile in Eastern Equatoria in South Sudan. The village seems like a harmonious and idyllic place where the Bari people live in the shadow under the large mango trees on the fertile land next to the Nile. But women and children are living in fear. South Sudan is the World's youngest nation, but its people are affected by conflict and war. The Bari people in Gurdi have not yet fled the country like millions of other Southsudanese. For generations the Baris have lived with fear from intruders whether it was the Arab or Turkish slave traders, who came down the Nile, or the Mule tribe who roam around to steal cattles and kidnap children, goverment soldiers or others, who exploit the community.
One day the village was attacked by armed Murle tribe warriors. The Murle were killing people and kidnapping young girls and boys. The mothers tell the stories about what happened. They do not know what happened to their daughters. It is some years ago now, and one mother do not know whether her daughter is still alive or lives as a slave. She has not yet performed the death ritual for her. One boy was also kidnapped, but he got rescued and came back to his family. He lived some years in the village. The mother takes us to the room where her son hang himself last year. He was 12 years old.
The images are taken in 2017.
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Gurdi is small village situation along the banks of the river Nile in Eastern Equatoria in South Sudan. The village seems like a harmonious and idyllic place where the Bari people live in the shadow under the large mango trees on the fertile land next to the Nile. But women and children are living in fear. South Sudan is the World's youngest nation, but its people are affected by conflict and war. The Bari people in Gurdi have not yet fled the country like millions of other Southsudanese. For generations the Baris have lived with fear from intruders whether it was the Arab or Turkish slave traders, who came down the Nile, or the Mule tribe who roam around to steal cattles and kidnap children, goverment soldiers or others, who exploit the community.
One day the village was attacked by armed Murle tribe warriors. The Murle were killing people and kidnapping young girls and boys. The mothers tell the stories about what happened. They do not know what happened to their daughters. It is some years ago now, and one mother do not know whether her daughter is still alive or lives as a slave. She has not yet performed the death ritual for her. One boy was also kidnapped, but he got rescued and came back to his family. He lived some years in the village. The mother takes us to the room where her son hang himself last year. He was 12 years old.
The images are taken in 2017.
About author:
Jan Møller Hansen is a self-taught and international award-winning photographer and curator based in Copenhagen, Denmark. He works with visual story telling and social documentary. Most of his photography work has been done in Bangladesh, Nepal and Europe.BACK TO GALLERY
