Travel Guide Parc National De L’omo

Covering more than 4,000 km2, the Omo National Park has similar characteristics to those of the Mago, with large savannah plains, acacia canopies and denser forests along the rivers. Its difficult access makes it a wildlife-rich sanctuary and the safest hideout for large mammals invisible elsewhere, such as buffalo, eland, giraffe and elephant. Recently, a few black rhinos have made a timid reappearance in the south of the park after years of absence. Zebra, topi, kudu and oryx also inhabit the area, accompanied by their traditional predators, lions, cheetahs and leopards. During the dry season, the hot springs, particularly those at Lilibai, south of the park headquarters, are ideal for observing the wildlife, which also includes some 300 species of birds.When to go. Temperatures are generally high at these altitudes between 400 and 1,200 m. Rainfall averages 500 mm per year, between March and April, and in September and October.A word of warning. The region that stretches along the western bank of the Omo River, along the border with South Sudan, remains one of the most remote and wildest in the country, and probably even on the continent. Much less visited than the other bank, which is an integral part of the tourist circuits of southern Ethiopia, this region is home to many fascinating but relatively unstable tribes, whose latent conflicts are as immemorial as they are unpredictable. Alongside the rather peaceful Dizi, Surma, Boumé and Dassanetch have retained a warrior spirit, perpetuating violence as one of the foundations of a virile culture. Organizing an excursion to these lands retains the flavour of adventure, but requires serious preparation. Setting off with several vehicles is a necessity, as is being accompanied by guides and drivers who know the region well. The tracks are very bad, as they are seldom used, and the journey is very arduous. While most Addis Ababa-based agencies are willing to organize trips in the area, it seems that some have a much better grasp of the terrain than others. Travelers who venture here must be willing to accept the many hazards of a journey through a little-frequented region, which is an integral part of its charm.The Dizi. Located in the Maji region in the north-east of the Omo, the Dizi, numbering around 25,000, are today sedentary farmers. Probably the most peaceful people in the region, the Dizi have always suffered from the warrior culture of their turbulent neighbors, but above all from the disintegration of their traditional structures under the pressure of the Amhara governors. The latter, who settled in this conquered region at the end of the 19th century, set about eradicating local customs. As a result, no trace remains today of the feudal organization of the Dizi, based on small kingdoms and a caste system.The Tishana. Part of the Me'en people, the Tishana, who live north of the Omo loop, have integrated many of the cultural traits of the populations they assimilated, such as the Dizi and Bench, thus losing most of their specific features, such as the clan structure or the organization into age classes. Settled as far as the high plateaus, they no longer lead a pastoral lifestyle, preferring to specialize in agriculture and beekeeping.The Surma or Suri, asthey call themselves, are divided into two main groups, Chaï and Tirma, numbering some 25,000 individuals. Close cousins of the Mursi, they share many linguistic and cultural traits with the latter, as well as a semi-nomadic lifestyle. With the exception of a blanket thrown over the shoulder, most men live naked, occasionally adorned with body paint. Almost all have their lobes pierced and widely stretched. Women sport imposing clay trays (sometimes made of wood and triangular in shape) in their lower lip and earlobe. Although the social structure, dominated by the clan, lacks a central authority, there is nevertheless a kind of high priest, the komoru, mediator and ritual specialist. Among these rituals, the saginé is particularly spectacular. This violent combat pits young men from different clans against each other, traditionally after harvest time. Dozens of participants armed with a phallic-shaped stick (the donga) and clad only in skimpy cloth protectors, fight for hours until a winner is chosen. These duels, as brief as they are violent, leave many wounds, some of them serious, on the wrestlers' bodies, an affirmation of their courage in the face of clan elders and young girls awaiting union. Occasionally, one of the fighters is killed, which is absolutely forbidden under the rules. According to tradition, the murderer is then banished and must pay a heavy indemnity to the family of the deceased. Today, such an accident can escalate if the opposing clan expresses a desire for immediate revenge. Bringing together several hundred Surma, the saginé is a truly impressive ceremony. Fighting only begins after a period of provocation, simulated blows, songs and warlike parades, with each clan invoking the courage of its favorite. Sorghum beer, and now araki, flow freely, and soon the hubbub of the crowd is dominated by Kalashnikov salvos fired into the air. The tension is palpable, the pent-up violence is ready to express itself, but it's not clear how far such an outburst of warlike energy can go.The Boumé or Nyangatom. Literally translated as "yellow guns", a possible distortion of "elephant eaters", they are close relatives of the Turkana of Kenya and the Karamajong of Uganda. The Boumé are hereditary enemies of the Surma. Instinctively quarrelsome, this warlike people is also known for its regular confrontations with the Hamer and Karo. The aim of these incursions is to steal as many cattle as possible and appropriate grazing land accordingly. Once a warrior has killed an enemy, he inflicts impressive scarification marks on his arms and chest. They are geographically opposite the Kara on the other bank of the Omo. Caught in a pincer movement between the Surma to the north and the Dassanetch to the south, in the 1970s the Nyangatom lost almost 10% of their population in constant clashes with their powerful neighbors.