Ngbaka

The Ngbaka are a people of central Africa. They also speak a language known as Ngbaka, which is part of the Adamawa-Eastern language family. The Ngbaka people are found in the Central African Republic, where their language is one of many spoken in the region, alongside Baya, Banda, Sara, Mbum, Kare, and Mandjia. French and Sango are the official languages, with Sango serving as a lingua franca for most of the population.12

The Ngbaka are also noted for their artistic traditions, particularly in sculpture. Their sculptural styles can vary, with figures sometimes appearing fleshy and rounded, and at other times more angular. They create small animal figures used as fetishes in hunting and masks for circumcision ceremonies. Both the Ngbaka and the related Ngbandi people create clay images for funeral rituals.3