The Acholi, also spelled Acholi and called Gang or Shuli, are a Luo Nilotic people from South Sudan.

They speak a Western Nilotic language of the Eastern Sudanic branch of the Nilo-Saharan family and are culturally and historically related to their neighbors, the Lango.

The Acholi are Protestant, Catholic and, in lesser numbers, Muslim. Nevertheless, the traditional belief in guardian and ancestor spirits remains strong, though it is often described in Christian or Islamic terms.

The Acholi believe in a supreme being called Jok and in another god, Lubanga, who is the cause of evil. The Acholi also worship the spirits of the dead and believe that they help the surviving members of the family if they are treated well.

Dance is very much a part of the Acholi culture. To learn more, visit the Portland Obbo Community facebook page.

Please note: The Sudanese people group cluster, numbering over 100,000, includes the Acholi, Anuak, Azande, Bari, Central Dinka, Jur Modo, Kaliko, Mabaan, Madi, Moru, Nuer, Shilluk, plus several other minority people groups. They are socially, culturally, linguistically, and religiously diverse with each having their own unique people group identity.