There are three indigenous groups in the Central African Republic (CAR): the M’bororo Fulani, the Aka and the Litho. The M’bororo Fulani are largely nomadic pastoralists. They are found in the prefectures of Ouaka in the centre-east, M’bomou in the south, and Lobaye in the south-west. The 2003 census estimated their population at 39,299 people or approximately 1% of the total population. The proportion of M’bororo is higher in rural areas, where they represent 14% of the total population, while they account for only 0.2% of the population in urban areas.
The exact number of Aka Pygmies is unknown, but they are estimated to number in the tens of thousands. Around 90% of them live in the forests of CAR, which they consider their homelands and where they carry out their traditional activities of hunting, gathering and fishing. The Aka live in the following prefectures: Lobaye, Ombella M’polo and Sangha-Mbaéré in the south-west, and Mambéré Kadîe in the west.
The Litho are a minority group located in the north of the country. They are semi-nomadic and practise farming together with hunting, gathering and fishing.
CAR voted in favour of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) in September 2007 and ratified ILO Convention 169 in August 2010. It was the first and only African State to ratify this Convention. On 11 August 2011, under the terms of the ILO Constitution, the Convention entered into force.
The Central African Republic (CAR) lies at the heart of the African continent, far from any coastline. It straddles the equator and thus enjoys a tropical climate. Its ecosystem comprises savanna woodland and steppe in the north, gallery forest in the centre and dense tropical rainforest in the south.
There are three indigenous groups in the Central African Republic (CAR): the M’bororo Fulani, the Aka and the Litho. The M’bororo Fulani are largely nomadic pastoralists. They are found in the prefectures of Ouaka in the centre-east, M’bomou in the south, and Lobaye in the south-west. The 2003 census estimated their population at 39,299 people or approximately 1% of the total population. The proportion of M’bororo is higher in rural areas, where they represent 14% of the total population, while they account for only 0.2% of the population in urban areas.
IWGIA - International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs - is a global human rights organisation dedicated to promoting, protecting and defending indigenous peoples’ rights. Read more.
IWGIA's global report, the Indigenous World, provides an update of the current situation for indigenous peoples worldwide. The Indigenous World 2019.
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