The Anywaa, or Anuak, are a river people whose villages are scattered along the banks and rivers of South Sudan and western Ethiopia. The Anuak of South Sudan live in a grassy region that is flat and virtually treeless. During the rainy season, this area becomes flooded, so that much of it becomes swampland with various channels of deep water running through it.
The Anuak speak a Nilotic language known as Anuak. Unlike other Nilotic people in the region whose economy is centered on raising cattle, the Anuak are mainly farmers. They probably have a common origin with their northern neighbors, the Shilluk. Also, they share a similar language with their neighbors to the south, the Acholi.
About 150 years ago, the Anuak occupied a large territory stretching north into South Sudan. After numerous invasions, however, they were forced further south into their present location along the Baro and Pibor Rivers.
The Anuak in the diaspora, especially in North America, cannot be classified as a single homogenous entity but rather as a vast network of overlapping identities shaped by religion, history, migration patterns, culture, and evolving social contexts. Regardless of their religious or cultural backgrounds, Africans in North America are deeply interconnected through various social networks and associations. They tend to maintain and pursue their religious and cultural values more actively than many other racial groups, even as different social institutions, secular norms, and racial dynamics influence their life experiences. Over time, however, some Africans, particularly those of the younger generation, may gradually assimilate into the individualistic religious lifestyle that characterizes much of North American religious belief and practice, where faith is treated as a personal choice and often takes on a different tone.
One of the strongest binding forces among Africans in North America is their shared experiences of migration, racial profiling, and cultural familiarity, such as common foods, music, and communal values. Nevertheless, due to internal racialization, linguistic heritage, cultural dynamics, and religious identity, some Africans from North Africa, particularly Muslims, may gravitate more toward Arab or Islamic communities than to broader "African" associations. Similarly, Francophone Africans often form their own social networks based on shared language, worldview, and colonial heritage. The individualistic religious environment and sense of cultural superiority that often characterize North American churches have led many African Christians, particularly in the U.S. and Canada, to establish diaspora congregations. These congregations blend African worship styles, music, dance, and language with Western church structures. They serve not only as places of worship but also as centers of social support, networking, and cultural preservation.
Some of the Anuak are animists (believing that non-human objects have spirits) who follow their traditional ethnic religion. They believe in an all-powerful spirit named Juok, whom they regard as the creator of all things. The Anuak also pray directly to Juok, rather than using mediator spirits or priests to intercede on their behalf. The Anuak also practice divination and magic.
However, a majority of them in the U.S. identify as Christian. They have a strong church that has the potential to disciple many others in the ways of Jesus Christ.
The full Bible was translated into the Anuak language in 2013, and many have come to Christ. Spiritually, they would greatly benefit from Christian radio broadcasts and other oral materials.
Pray for gospel-oriented radio broadcasts in the Anuak language.
Pray there will soon come a day when Anuak Christ followers will disciple others to make even more disciples.
Pray for the Holy Spirit to move powerfully in their families and communities, drawing many to the cross.
Pray for them to have the spiritual hunger it takes to put Jesus Christ above all else.
Scripture Prayers for the Anuak in United States.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anuak_people
https://www.culturalsurvival.org/publications/cultural-survival-quarterly/anuak-threatened-culture
| Profile Source: Joshua Project |
