Mbenga people
Encyclopedia
The Mbenga people, Bambenga, are the western pygmies of Cameroon
and Gabon
: the,
The Aka ( Yaka) and Baka are both called Bayaka; the Gyele and Kola are both called Bakola or Bakoya.
The term Babinga is derogatory.
Cameroon
Cameroon, officially the Republic of Cameroon , is a country in west Central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west; Chad to the northeast; the Central African Republic to the east; and Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the Republic of the Congo to the south. Cameroon's coastline lies on the...
and Gabon
Gabon
Gabon , officially the Gabonese Republic is a state in west central Africa sharing borders with Equatorial Guinea to the northwest, Cameroon to the north, and with the Republic of the Congo curving around the east and south. The Gulf of Guinea, an arm of the Atlantic Ocean is to the west...
: the,
- Aka (Babenzélé, Basese, Bayaka, Nzari),
- Baka (Bebayaka, Bibaya),
- GyeleGyele peopleThe Gyele , also known as the Kola or Koya , are the pygmies of southern Cameroon and adjacent areas of Gabon and Equatorial Guinea. They live among Bantu patrons, the Mvumbo and Bassa...
, - KolaKola peopleThe Kola people, Bakola, also known as the Koya, Bakoya, are pygmies of the NE Gabon–Congo border area. They speak the Bantu Ngom language....
(Koya), and - BongoBabongoThe Babongo, or Bongo, are an agricultural people of Gabon in equatorial Africa who are known as "forest people" due to their recent foraging economy. Though considered Mbenga Pygmies, they are not particularly short. They are originators of the Bwiti religion, based on consumption of the...
.
The Aka ( Yaka) and Baka are both called Bayaka; the Gyele and Kola are both called Bakola or Bakoya.
The term Babinga is derogatory.
Reference
- "Mbuti, Twa, and Mbenga". In Stokes (ed.) 2009. Encyclopedia of the Peoples of Africa and the Middle East, Volume 1