Deng Laka and Mut Roal: Fixing the Date of an Unknown Battle

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Periodical article

Title:	Deng Laka and Mut Roal: Fixing the Date of an Unknown Battle
Author:	Johnson, Douglas H.
Year:	1993
Periodical:	History in Africa
Volume:	20
Pages:	119-128
Language:	English
Geographic term:	Sudan
Subjects:	Dinka Nuer military operations oral history History and Exploration Peoples of Africa (Ethnic Groups)
External link:	https://www.jstor.org/stable/3171968
Abstract:	The Gaawar Nuer of Sudan recall a battle called 'Mut Roal' which Deng Laka, the prophet of the divinity Diu, fought against the Twic Dinka and their 'Arab' allies. In this battle the Dinka and the Arabs failed to coordinate their movements, were attacked, and were defeated singly. The battle was of a recent enough date to be recounted in some detail by Nuer and Dinka participants to those British officials who visited the Zeraf valley in the first three decades of the 20th century, but the British were uncertain about the date of the battle and the identity of the opponents, and frequently assumed that they were 'slavers' from the days of the Turco-Egyptian period (1840-1885). This paper examines the evidence contained in various orally based accounts collected between 1904 and 1982 and compares them with the few contemporary written accounts that exist of battles near the Bahr el-Zeraf in the late 19th century. The author concludes that the battle of 'Mut Roal' was probably fought against the Mahdists in 1896. Notes, ref.