The Nuba

Daily Life, second prize stories

00-03-1999

Young Nuba in Nyabroro village, Nuba Mountains, Sudan. In the mountains of central Sudan, the Nuba people struggle to preserve a culture under threat. The Nuba have lived in the inaccessible and remote region for hundreds of years. However, their numbers are dwindling, as fierce fighting between government troops and the Sudan People's Liberation Army forces thousands to flee, moving to urban centers for food and shelter. Displaced, or forced to hide in caves, they also face hostility from the fundamentalist Muslim government who has declared Nuba Mountain Islam to be heretical.

Commissioned by: Contrasto for Max

Photo Credit: Frencesco Zizola

Francesco Zizola is an Italian photojournalist and a founding member of NOOR photo agency.

Born in 1962, since 1980's he has documented the world's major conflicts and their hidden crisis, focusing on the social and humanitarian issues that define life in the developing world as well as in western countries. A strong ethical commitment and a distinctive aesthetic eye are specific features of his pictures.

His assignments and personal projects have taken him around the world, giving him the opportunity to carefully portray forgotten crises and relevant issues often disregarded by the mainstream media. In 2008 he founded 10b Photography (Rome, Italy), a multipurpose centre for digital photography promoting photography culture through exhibitions, workshops and lectures. He received several awards - including nine awards in World Press Photo contests and four Picture of the Year International awards (POYi) – and published seven books.

Francesco lives in Rome, Italy.