King Gbudwe and the Last Days of Azande Independence

The most thoroughly documented Azande ruler in history is King Gbudwe Bazingbi, who ruled from roughly 1870 until 1905, based near what is now Yambio, South Sudan.

Gbudwe led sustained resistance against slave raiders, Mahdist forces, and eventually the colonial expansion of Britain and Belgium into Azande territory. In 1904 he led an assault on Belgian-built forts, which was repelled with heavy losses, weakening his position as allied vassals began defecting to colonial powers.

In February 1905, a British military patrol reached his settlement. Oral histories recorded by anthropologist E.E. Evans-Pritchard describe Gbudwe being found wounded and captured; he died within days.

His death marked the end of independent Azande rule. Azande territory was subsequently partitioned among three colonial powers — British, Belgian, and French — establishing the borders that still separate Azande communities across South Sudan, DR Congo, and the Central African Republic today.

The Avongara royal line did not end there. In February 2022, Gbudwe's great-grandson, Atoroba Peni Rikito, was formally installed as King of the Azande Kingdom, restoring the monarchy after 117 years.

Read more on our Heritage page, and if your family holds additional verified history, we welcome your corrections and contributions.