A ceremonial stick looted by British troops 80 years ago and seen as a symbol of tribal power was cheered home in southern Sudan .
Prophet Ngundeng Bong's stick, or dang, was taken as a trophy after a victory over the region's Nuer tribe in 1929. His followers say he predicted a Nuer leader would rule an independent south, and many in the chaotic crowd saw the return as a potent sign for southern Sudan, which has been promised a referendum on independence from northern Sudan in 2011.
