Dinka

The Dinka, also known as Jieng, are a Nilotic ethnic group native to South Sudan. They form the country’s largest ethnic group, with populations concentrated in the Bahr el Ghazal and Upper Nile regions and smaller communities in neighboring areas and among refugees abroad.

They speak the Dinka languages, a cluster of closely related dialects in the Nilotic branch of the Nilo-Saharan language family. The dialects vary regionally, but speakers share many cultural traits and social practices.

Traditionally, the Dinka are pastoralists and cattle herders, and cattle ownership plays a central role in social status, bridewealth, and community exchange. While cattle herding remains important, many Dinka also engage in farming, trade, and non-agricultural livelihoods, especially in urban settings and through diaspora networks.

Dinka culture emphasizes kinship, cattle-related ceremonies, and intricate rituals connected to life stages such as birth, marriage, and death. Traditional religious beliefs center on a creator deity and ancestral spirits, but many Dinka today identify as Christians or Muslims, often alongside continuing traditional practices.

In modern history, the Dinka have played a prominent role in South Sudan’s politics and independence movement. Notable figures include John Garang, who led the Sudan People’s Liberation Army/Movement. The community has also faced displacement and conflict within South Sudan’s post-independence era.