The faces of Ethiopia

Photographer Michael Hanson made these black-and-white portraits of the inhabitants of the Omo River Valley in Ethiopia, expressive pictures that will organically complement all the photo reports from those places.

Until the 90s of the last century, almost nothing was written about the tribes inhabiting the Omo River valley in southwestern Ethiopia, and few Europeans saw them at all.

There is still no reliable data on the number of tribes: experts suggest that from 15 to 20 tribal groups live in this inaccessible and poorly studied area.

They are all ethnically different, but they lead a similar lifestyle: women cultivate the land and raise children, men graze cattle in the river floodplain, old men lead the process.

People living in the Omo Valley need Kalashnikov assault rifles — this is how they guard the borders of their possessions, which are not marked on any map of the world.

Ever since local conflicts in Northeast Africa began to be resolved with the help of military supplies from powers like the United States, automatic weapons have displaced throwing spears from the everyday use of even the most "wild" tribes.

In hand-to-hand fights with cattle rustlers from hostile tribes, traditional "two-horned" knives with protruding blades are still used, which cause terrible lacerations in battle.

Every self—respecting warrior of the Omo Valley wears such a knife on his right wrist, but he always has a rifle on his shoulder, and in rare cases, an expensive kalash.

However, visiting travelers are not particularly in danger.

The aborigines put the fighting and other abilities of white people very low and treat tourists at best with good—natured condescension, at worst with some contempt.

Only neighbors in "paradise" are considered worthy rivals.

The mesopotamia of Omo, Baro and Kibisha is an area of eternal conflicts of the tribal groups inhabiting it.

Territorial disputes over the ownership of the best pastures and watering places for livestock turn, especially in the years of lack of food, into cruel and bloody skirmishes, in which the murder of a foreigner is perceived as a valiant act. (vokrugsveta.ru)