Torit, South Sudan – In October 2024, rainmaker Solomon Oture was buried alive by members of his own community in Lohobohobo village, highlighting the dangers faced by spiritual leaders in South Sudan as climate change deepens crises of hunger and mistrust.
Oture, who inherited the role in 2017, was responsible for performing rituals to summon rain for his farming community. But after consecutive years of failed rains, frustration grew among villagers in the Lopit mountains. Witnesses said Oture fled to a nearby village, fearing retaliation, but was later forced back to Lohobohobo by young men from his community. The next morning, he was brought before elders, and members of the ruling generation, known as the Monyomiji, decided his fate. He was led away and buried alive.
His death, confirmed by family members and government officials, is not an isolated case. At least five other rainmakers have been killed in similar ways across the Lopit mountains over the past four decades, with others burned, beaten, or forced into exile. Locals often remain silent, fearing punishment if they speak out.
Rainmakers hold a central role in South Sudanese villages, where rain-fed farming is essential for survival. They are believed to inherit their powers through lineage and are compensated with livestock and crops. But during prolonged droughts, their authority can become a target of resentment. Experts warn that climate change, erratic weather patterns, and weak governance have only heightened these tensions.
Community leaders said the Monyomiji, who enforce customary laws, often act beyond state authority. Police rarely intervene in remote villages, leaving rainmakers vulnerable. Despite multiple killings, no arrests have ever been made.
Oture’s son, who learned of his father’s death while living abroad, said the news caused him deep pain but hoped future generations would reject mob justice. Meanwhile, farmers in Lohobohobo continue to face failed harvests, forcing many to migrate in search of work and food.
With climate models projecting rising temperatures and worsening drought, experts fear the role of rainmakers will become even more dangerous. “People are discouraged, and they are going away from here,” said former local administrator Matthew Oromo. “There is no hope for the rain.”
