The Surma people of Ethiopia — also known as the Suri — are an agro-pastoral community inhabiting the Omo Valley area of southwestern Ethiopia, very near the border with South Sudan. Surma is the official Ethiopian umbrella term for three ethnic groups in South Ethiopia: the Suri people, the Mursi people, and the Mekan people. They are best known worldwide for the clay lip plates worn by women, ornate body painting, decorative scarification, and the Donga stick-fighting ceremony. Due to their remoteness, the Suri are one of the least visited of the Omo Valley tribes in Ethiopia, making a visit to their territory around Kibish and Tulgit one of the most logistically demanding — and culturally distinct — experiences available in East Africa in 2026.
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| Experience | Location | Duration | Difficulty | Approx. Cost | Best Season |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Village visit (Kibish) | Kibish | Half to full day | Easy | $20–$50 pp | Oct–Jan |
| Surma trekking (Magologne) | Kibish area | 4–5 hrs | Moderate | Included in tour | Oct–Jan |
| Donga stick fighting | Tulgit/Kibish | 2–4 hrs | Spectator | Negotiated locally | Post-harvest (Oct–Dec) |
| Body painting observation | Kibish riverbank | 1–2 hrs | Easy | Tip-based | Year-round |
| Cattle bleeding ceremony | Nomadic camps | 1–2 hrs | Easy | Negotiated locally | Dry season |
| Surma trekking (Tulgit–Kolu) | Kibish to Kolu | Full day | Moderate–Hard | Included in tour | Oct–Jan |
| Maji Saturday market | Maji town | Half day | Easy | Free entry | Year-round |
| Omo National Park game drive | Omo NP | Half day | Easy | Park fee applies | Oct–Mar |
Who Are the Surma People of Ethiopia
Suri (Surma) is a collective name for three ethnic groups — Chai, Timaga, and Baale — mainly living in Suri woreda, in southwestern Ethiopia. Very often the name “Surma” is used for the Suri people as well, but this is technically inaccurate — a Suri would never call himself a “Surma.” They all speak Southeast Surmic languages within the Nilo-Saharan language family, which includes the Mun, Majang, and Me’en peoples’ languages.
The Suri population was 20,622 in 1998 and approximately 32,000 in 2016. The Suri people are semi-nomadic cattle herders and live on the west side of the Omo River in the southwestern part of Ethiopia. This area is still largely undeveloped, with only an unpaved road leading to the heart of the Suri settlements at Kibish. The Suri have no written history, but they do have an oral tradition that contains many historical referents — reconstructed partly through comparison of genealogies and stories about the movement of clan groups — referring to a migration history starting in the lower Omo River area, north of Lake Turkana.
Where the Surma People Live in Ethiopia
The Surma tribe is located in the southwestern part of Ethiopia, primarily in the Suri woreda of the Bench Maji Zone in the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples’ Region (SNNPR), and they inhabit a remote and rugged area near the Omo River, close to the border with South Sudan. The Suri live in the remote part of Maji and Bero-Shasha provinces in the Kefa region of Ethiopia. The Tirma and Chai are typical lowland dwellers whose settlements are all below 1,000 meters, in a semiarid area along one perennial river, the Kibish.
The main settlement points accessible to visitors are Tulgit and Kibish. The small village of Tulgit is home to the Surma tribes, incorporating Suri, Mursi, and Mekan people. The drive to the remote area of Kibish takes visitors across the Akobo River on the western side of the Omo River, through a region that is undeveloped and largely unchanged by western influences. From the Kibish base, guides drive in a radius of 40–60 km to photograph and interact with the Surma, Suri, and Menit people.
Surma Lip Plates Tradition and Cultural Meaning
Piercing lips and lobes and inserting lip plates are a strong part of Suri culture. At puberty, most young women have their lower teeth removed in order to get their lower lip pierced. Once pierced, the lip is stretched and plates of increasing size are placed in the hole. Having a lip plate is a sign of female beauty and appropriateness — a common thought is that the bigger the plate, the more cattle the woman is “worth” for her bride price, though this is denied by some.
A girl’s lower lip is cut when she reaches the age of 15 or 16. The lip is pierced by her mother or another woman and a simple wooden plug is inserted. The cut is held open by the wooden plug until the wound heals. After that, the plug is replaced by a bigger one. The stretching of the lip continues by inserting progressively larger plugs over several months. At a diameter of about 4 cm the first clay lip plate can be inserted, with the final diameter ranging from about 8 cm to over 20 cm. According to oral tradition among the Surma, the practice of wearing lip plates was started to discourage slave traders from stealing their women. Nowadays girls in some Surma settlements decide for themselves whether to wear a lip plate or not. However, wearing a lip plate is still an expression of social adulthood and self-esteem for a Suri woman.
Surma Body Painting and Scarification Practices
The Surma practice the art of body painting using different clays collected to acquire colors ranging from red, orange, yellow, and white. These are mixed with a little water and painted onto the face and body. The Surma are exceptional artists, although each design is both unique and only temporary. Body art, including intricate face and body painting, is an aspect of their culture, with designs created using natural pigments applied before ceremonies or important events. The use of body art signifies different stages of life and marks significant achievements, and is also a way for members of the tribe to express their individuality and artistic skills.
The Suri pride themselves on their scars and how many they carry. Women perform decorative scarification by lifting the skin with a hook or edged thorn, with the skin then sliced or removed with a razor blade. After the skin is sliced, the piece of skin left is left to eventually scar. Men traditionally scarred their bodies after they killed someone from an enemy group. One group, for instance, cuts a horseshoe shape on their right arm to indicate they have killed a man, and on the left for a woman.
The Donga Stick Fighting Ceremony
The Suri have a liking for stick fighting called saginé — more properly called “ceremonial duelling” — which serves as a rite of passage for young men and brings great prestige, and is especially important when seeking a bride. Such duels are very competitive, at the risk of serious injury and occasional death. Every year, after the rainy season, when there is a surplus of food, Surma men from different clans gather to fight in battles on Donga sticks and define the strongest. Donga is a kind of rite of passage — the ceremony for boys to become real men, warriors who will be ready to defend the honor of the tribe and preserve their cattle.
As a result of gun culture and violence during fights, the Ethiopian government banned the stick fights, which now have to take place secretly and without the presence of tourists. It is therefore extremely rare to witness a Donga in 2026. Guided tours that specifically target the post-harvest season — roughly October through December — give the best chance of encountering related ceremonies, though nothing can be guaranteed.
Surma Cattle Culture and Economy
The Suri people have a cattle-centered culture — the wealth of a family is measured by the number of animals owned. Usually the animals are not eaten unless a big ceremony takes place. The animals are used for milk and blood, which they both drink. Sometimes Suri warriors prepare a mixture of cattle blood and milk for a ceremonial rite called “cow bleeding.”
The average married male in the Suri tribe owns somewhere between 30 and 40 cows. These cows are not killed unless needed for ceremonial purposes. Every young male has a “favorite cattle” name — his friends will call him by the name of his favorite cow. Cows are very important to the Surma — economically, socially, and symbolically — and at times they risk death to protect their herd. Men are not able to marry until they have a sufficient number of cattle to pay the dowry to the bride’s family. Cows are given to the prospective wife’s family during and after the initial wedding ceremony.
Beyond cattle, crops planted include sorghum, maize, cassava, cabbage, beans, yams, spice plants, and some tobacco. During the dry season, the Suri also collect honey. The Suri pan gold in nearby streams, which they sell for cash to highland traders.
Surma Social Structure and Village Life
The Suri “chiefs” — called komoru — have a ritual function and are merely the most respected elders. They have no executive powers and are elected from within certain clan lineages. The men of the village are divided by “age-set”: children, young men (tegay), junior elders (rora), and senior elders (bara). Each set has its own role.
Each household in the Suri village is mostly managed by a married woman. The women prepare the food, take care of the children, and cultivate their own fields and gardens. They are allowed to use their profits however they wish. The young boys and unmarried men take care of the cattle. They spend much of the year in temporary grazing camps, returning to their established settlements for additional food and ceremonial events. Suri villages normally range in size from 40 to 1,000 people, but a few may reach 2,500 people.
Surma Relations With Neighboring Tribes
The Suri tribe is accustomed to conflict — for example, the constant conflict with the neighboring Nyangatom tribe over land and cattle. The Mursi and Surma enjoy a peaceful relationship, but this is not the case with their other close neighbors, the traditional enemy Nyangatom. The Nyangatom often join forces with the Toposa from over the border in Sudan for cattle raids on the Surma, leading to bloody disputes and frequent retaliation. The supply of automatic weapons has led to yet more bloodshed, though recently relationships have improved and there is now tentative trading between the tribes.
In the past, a new “gun culture” emerged among the Suri men. Kalashnikovs are omnipresent and threaten to destabilize their society. Many ceremonies such as weddings or funeral celebrations look more like military ceremonies these days, with many gunshots. Travelers heading to the area should remain aware of this dynamic and follow their guide’s instructions at all times.
Threats to Surma Culture and Land Rights in 2026
According to tribal peoples advocacy groups including Survival International, local peoples — particularly the Suri, Nyangatom, Anywa, and Mursi — are still in danger of displacement and denial of access to their traditional grazing and agricultural lands. More than a decade ago, the main problem for Suri and Mursi was posed by the government bringing in the African Parks Foundation. Advocacy groups reported that the Surma/Suri, Me’en, and Mursi people were coerced by government park officials into thumbprinting documents they could not read.
The younger generation of Surma women are increasingly opting out of the lip plate practice by choosing not to perforate their lips in the first place. Some even go as far as sewing their lower lip back up to have a more conventional appearance, especially when they want to leave their homelands