Their neighbors include the Toposa, Turkana, Boya, Ketebo, Logir, Ik, Dodos and Dongotona peoples - groups with whom the Didinga have had frequent conflicts due to economic pressures.
Driberg's 1922 study states that "The Didinga have a very strong tradition that they arrived at their present habitat from the S. E., travelling through country now inhabited by Dodoth round the S. Shore of Lake Rudolph.
These gradually tended to extend and drift southwards (vide the Masai), and it is possible that some ancient metal workings traceable in old slag-heaps at Latome, Lotyathe and other parts of the present Didinga country may be attributed to these XVI century invaders.
[2] The Didinga, Boya, Tennet, Murle and Mursi of Southwest Ethiopia share a language that distinguishes them from all other groups in the Sudan.
During the Second Sudanese Civil War (1983–2005) tensions with the Dinka people built up after the Dinka-dominated SPLA forces moved into the area in 1985.
They came to a head in 1999 when the Didinga officer Peter Lorot was passed over for promotion in favor of a Dinka, assassinated his rival and took to the woods with his supporters.
They took great pride in raising cattle and owned large herds that were supervised by the young single Didinga men.
They were met, however, with a drastic decrease in the numbers in their herds: clansmen who had remained in the Hills had failed to restock the cattle during the disturbance.
Their traditional beliefs and religious practices include having a tribal rainmaker who is entrusted with performing certain rituals to bring rain.