In South Sudan, the world’s youngest nation, an ancient spiritual artifact has become a focal point in the ongoing political turmoil between President Salva Kiir and opposition leader Riek Machar. The Ngundeng Bong’s dang—a sacred stick believed to have summoned deadly thunderbolts in 1878 tribal battles—now symbolizes the deep ethnic and spiritual divisions driving the country’s cycle of violence.
Machar, who acquired the dang in 2009, is viewed by his Nuer followers as the prophesied leader foretold by Ngundeng—a gap-toothed, left-handed man destined to lead South Sudan. This perception has sustained his political struggle while simultaneously making him a target for Kiir’s Dinka-dominated government. The ethnic tensions between these groups erupted into civil war in 2013 after Kiir accused Machar of plotting a coup, resulting in approximately 400,000 deaths despite a fragile 2018 peace agreement.
Recent escalation has prompted authorities to order civilian evacuations from rebel-held towns, while Machar remains under house arrest facing treason charges. Militias like the White Army continue fighting in belief they’re fulfilling Ngundeng’s prophecy to install Machar as president.
Historians note the dang’s significance transcends its physical form. Douglas H. Johnson, the British-American historian who repatriated the artifact, compares its authority to a parliamentary mace. The 110-centimeter stick, fashioned from tamarind root and decorated with copper wire, was collected as a colonial trophy before Johnson discovered it in Bournemouth and returned it to South Sudan.
Currently, the dang’s whereabouts remain uncertain, though it’s believed to be in Machar’s possession. Archivists describe it as national heritage “embedded” with political authority, while analysts suggest its perceived power contributes to the ongoing conflict. With elections scheduled for December, the absence of Machar on the ballot could further disenfranchise the Nuer population and exacerbate tensions in this spiritually-charged political struggle.