yes, it's a club for 'hurling' a more severe and forceful verb than 'throwing'. i suspect it is not from the sudan. as you suspect, it is really from an oceanic island.
i've got one of those ethnographic oceanic islander clubs, it's called a hurley.
see
http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=18562
the distinctive shape is well known on the island. here is another antique one:
a collection:
and there's a photo of the islanders in their distinctive native costumes engaging in ritual combat with their clubs attached below. this occurs on the aforementioned island set on the edge of a vast ocean, and only about 200 miles west of me (and tim
), and the natives still craft and use these clubs in the traditional manner and they may be found in many shops both on their island and ours. ones signed by a master can command a premium. luckily as it is living history, tourist versions are not normally found due to the large numbers still being used and produced. they are very distinct from and used differently than the equivalent ones used here in the UK, which are known as 'cricket bats', a less deadly and more cumbersome weapon. in fact, it is considered unacceptable to actual strike your opponent with one, unlike the hurley. here you must throw a hard dense missile at them instead. the cricket bat is used to parry the missles, as is a hurley. however in their island it is usually mandatory to actually hit an opponent with your club.
i note the traditional bindings are missing from yours, as is also sometimes found on pacific oceanic clubs from other areas. the traditional materials for these bindings is however readily available.
a video of the club in use:
Blitz
the ritual battle: (followed by a gory secret photo of the battlefield afterwards. those of a sensitive nature, look away now.