Dec 23, 2008: African Tribal War

Looking through Boston.Com's "The Year 2008 in Photographs", like all year end collections, evoked memories of things that have been pushed into the background by more recent events. But, when I saw this picture I had no recollection of ever hearing about it.



Most conflicts in the world, even small ones, are usually played out with AK-47s and Rocket Propelled Grenades, not bows & arrows.

Maasai warriors cover a battle field as they clash with bows and arrows with members of the Kalenjin tribe in the Kapune hill overlooking the Olmelil valley located in the Transmara District in Western Kenya on March 01, 2008. The Massai, the Kalenjin and the Kisii tribes have recently clashed over ongoing land disputes that erupted after botched local elections during the general elections held in Kenya in December of 2007. Over twenty warriors from the tribes have been killed in bow and arrow battles near the borders of these tribes in the last couple of months. (Yasuyoshi Chiba/AFP/Getty Images)

Over 20 killed? I wonder how many wounded. It's a good thing they don't have AKs and RPGs, because those bright colors make great targets. :eyebrow:

Warriors? Allrighty then.

Yeah color problems.. Bloods and Crips everywhere!!


Think what a guy with compound bow and a bunch of aluminum arrows could do... yikes.

"No one can hit me from - uhck!"

There was a lot of trouble in Kenya this year, a lot of it sparked off by the election. Of course it was along tribal lines, so it doesn't take much to get things going.

At first glance I thought it was a Guinness record attempt for simultaneous golfing. Guess not! Imagine, though, the relative quietness of a conflict resolved with bows and arrows. You could hear the agonized screams of your enemy & comrades when an arrow pierced flesh.

SPUCK;516075 wrote:

Yeah color problems.. Bloods and Crips everywhere!!Think what a guy with compound bow and a bunch of aluminum arrows could do... yikes.

Bloods & Crips everywhere!!:lol2: :notworthy

Old & Busted: Aluminum arrows.
New Hotness: Arrows made from carbon nanotubes.:D

SPUCK;516075 wrote:

"No one can hit me from - uhck!"

I spilled my coffee...frickin hilarious!!!!!!: biglaugha

Somehow the word that seems to go with this image is civilized.
No stealth, no mortars, no landmines, no unmanned drones flown from Palmdale, no IED's or cluster bombs.
20 killed vs. the hundreds of thousands wiped out, maimed and raped in that part of Africa just seems to be of a human scale.

Time for someone to make some cash giving one side repeating rifles and the other wiskey.

Why doesn't one side just grab a bunch of machetes and go after the guys with bows and arrows? One of the reasons archers stood behind infantry was because once enemy got in close the bow and arrow were useless.

Great idea, you go first. ;)

I worked in a hospital in rural Kenya for a while in 1994 (Maua if you're interested). One day we had several dozen people come in with arrow wounds, because a couple of tribes a few miles down the hill had a battle over some land. One tribe got pretty much wiped out: the wounded we saw were the lucky ones, all the rest of their tribe had died because most of the arrows used were poisoned: the only survivors were the few that had been hit by un-poisoned arrows. This didn't even make Kenyan news, let alone international news. Shit like this goes on all the time but you won't hear about it. Something to think about as you tuck into your Christmas roast in your safe warm house.

Wombat;516325 wrote:

...the wounded we saw were the lucky ones, all the rest of their tribe had died because most of the arrows used were poisoned: the only survivors were the few that had been hit by un-poisoned arrows.

Well, there's my problem right there...I got to go poison me up some arrows. (No wonder my victims have been escaping lately...):headshake

About those bright colors. Africa had a thriving textile industry. It died when the USA started sending cargo ships loaded with tons of used clothing pressed into bales. The intent was good. The result: Not so much.

Tick

This is America, 2012, after the Democrats take all your guns off you, and repeal the Second Amendment .. :D

Nah, the Democrats make laws, they don't enforce them.

onetrack;516651 wrote:

This is America, 2012, after the Democrats take all your guns off you, and repeal the Second Amendment .. :D

Charlton Heston said it best: "From my cold, dead hands...":rattat:

Good, he's dead now...let's go take his gun.

onetrack;516651 wrote:

This is America, 2012, after the Democrats take all your guns off you, and repeal the Second Amendment .. :D

It will never happen.

Shawnee123;517951 wrote:

Good, he's dead now...let's go take his gun.

SACRILEGE!!!!!:eek:

Shawnee123;517951 wrote:

Good, he's dead now...let's go take his gun.

That was lolworthy

At first glance it looked like a cross between golf and ultimate frisbee.

Gravdigr;518675 wrote:

SACRILEGE!!!!!:eek:

Sacrilege it cannot be, he is not a God
[COLOR="White"](very obscure quote)[/COLOR]

To some, he is (was) but without the immortality thing.

He was Moses though, [SIZE="1"]wasn't he[/SIZE]?

He made the mistake of telling god he would have to pry those slates from his cold dead hands. God was pissed!