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Uganda Central Sudanic Language Groups
Central Sudanic languages are spoken by about 6 percent
of
Ugandans, most of whom live in the northwest. The Lugbara
(roughly 3.8 percent of the total) and the Madi (roughly
1.2
percent) are the largest of these groups, representing the
southeastern corner of a wide belt of Central Sudanic
language
speakers stretching from Chad to Sudan. The Lugbara live
in the
highlands, on an almost treeless plateau that marks the
watershed
between the Zaire River and the Nile. The Madi live in the
lowlands to the east.
Lugbara and Madi speak closely related languages and
bear
strong cultural similarities. Both groups raise millet,
cassava,
sorghum, legumes, and a variety of root crops. Chickens,
goats,
and, at higher elevations, cattle are also important. Corn
is
grown for brewing beer, and tobacco is an important cash
crop.
This region is densely populated, dotted with small
settlements separated from one another by streams or
patches of
bush. Each settlement consists of a family cluster, with a
core
of patrilineal relatives and their polygynous families
living
under the authority of a lineage elder. Membership in a
settlement is flexible; however, people leave and rejoin a
village on the basis of interpersonal relationships.
The clan leaders adjudicate most disputes. They can
order a
man to pay compensation for assault or property damage;
murder is
often avenged by killing. The entire clan shares
responsibility
in most matters, but the clan segment, or lineage, shares
more
immediate responsibility for avoiding conflict.
Data as of December 1990
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