The Mbo people are a
Bantu group of the
Mbo plain,
Littoral Region,
Mungo Division,
Nkongsamba
Nkongsamba is a city in western Cameroon. It is in the Moungo department, which is in the Littoral region. As of the 2005 Census, the city had a population of 104,050. It is a centre for the farming of palm oil, bananas and coffee, and is bet ...
and
Melong
(; sa, ādarśa, darpaṇa, italic=yes) is a Tibetan term that means "mirror", "looking glass". The is a symbol, divine attribute, and quality of the enlightened mindstream or .
Meaning and significance
The mirror is an ancient symbol thr ...
subdivisions and in the
West Region Western Region or West Region may refer to:
Places
*Al Gharbia, Abu Dhabi, the Western Region
*Western Region, Bahrain
*Western Region, Eastern Cape, South Africa
*Western Region, Ghana
*Western Region (Iceland)
*Western Region, Nepal
*Western Regi ...
, Menoua Division, Santchou Subdivision and Upper Nkam Division, Kekem Subdivision of
Cameroon
Cameroon (; french: Cameroun, ff, Kamerun), officially the Republic of Cameroon (french: République du Cameroun, links=no), is a country in west-central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west and north; Chad to the northeast; the C ...
.
The
Bakossi Forest Reserve
The Bakossi Forest Reserve is a reserve within the Bakossi Mountains in Cameroon, home to many rare species of plants, animals and birds.
The Forest Reserve in turn contains the Bakossi National Park, created by a decree in early 2008.
The park co ...
, which includes the
Bakossi National Park
The Bakossi National Park (BNP) is a protected area within the Bakossi Forest Reserve, created by a decree in early 2008.
The park covers , and was justified on the basis of preserving plant diversification.
Location
The Bakossi Mountains are pa ...
, is mainly inhabited by the
Bakossi people
The Bakossi people are a Bantu ethnic group that live on the western and eastern slopes of Mount Mwanenguba and Mount Kupe in the Bakossi Mountains of Cameroon. They number about 200,000, mostly engaged in subsistence farming but also producing ...
, but the population also includes Mbo as well as
Manehas,
Bakem,
Baneka, and immigrant
Bamiliki people.
[
The Mbo and Banyangi people live in and around the ]Banyang-Mbo Wildlife Sanctuary
The Banyang-Mbo Wildlife Sanctuary is a wildlife sanctuary found in Cameroon
Cameroon (; french: Cameroun, ff, Kamerun), officially the Republic of Cameroon (french: République du Cameroun, links=no), is a country in west-central Africa. ...
.
They hunt for bushmeat
Bushmeat is meat from wildlife species that are hunted for human consumption, most often referring to the meat of game in Africa. Bushmeat represents
a primary source of animal protein and a cash-earning commodity for inhabitants of humid tropi ...
, which they sell fresh or smoked, and which is a good deal cheaper than other locally available forms of protein.
The Mbo of West Cameroon originate from the Santchou
Santchou is a town and commune in Cameroon.
It is located in the Menoua division of the South-West region of Cameroon. It is home predominantly to the Mbo people; this is reflected in the name. It is located on a plain and it is part of the regi ...
area in East Cameroon.
The Mbo have been restricted to the southern banks of the Betse and Betenten rivers since 1900.
They have a long tradition of conflict with the neighboring Bangwa people due to disputes over boundaries, oil palm groves, and kidnappings for slavery.
The Bamileke
The Bamileke are a Central African people who inhabit the Western High Plateau of Cameroon.
Languages
The Bamileke languages belong to the Grassfields branch of the Niger-Congo language family, which is sometimes labeled as a " Bantuoid lang ...
chiefdoms of Fongo Tongo, Foto, Foreke Dschang, and Fondongela all claim origin from the Mbo.
In other Bangwa chiefdoms, minor subchiefs claim Mbo ancestry.
The Mbo people are extremely poor. They do not have access to medical treatment so there is no HIV Testing
HIV tests are used to detect the presence of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), the virus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), in serum, saliva, or urine. Such tests may detect antibodies, antigens, or RNA.
AIDS diagn ...
and counseling, although HIV/AIDS
Human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is a spectrum of conditions caused by infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), a retrovirus. Following initial infection an individual ...
is prevalent.
Genetics
In 2013, discovery of a previously unknown Y-chromosomal haplogroup
In human genetics, a human Y-chromosome DNA haplogroup is a haplogroup defined by mutations in the non- recombining portions of DNA from the male-specific Y chromosome (called Y-DNA). Many people within a haplogroup share similar numbers of sh ...
, dubbed haplogroup A00
Haplogroup A is a human Y-chromosome DNA haplogroup, which includes all living human Y chromosomes. Bearers of extant sub-clades of haplogroup A are almost exclusively found in Africa (or among descendants of populations which have recently le ...
(AF6)
was announced. First found in the Y-chromosome of an African American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
male submitted for commercial genealogical analysis, the haplogroup was identified in eleven Y chromosomes of Mbo males (out of a sample of 174, corresponding to 6.3%).Y-chromosomal Adam
In human genetics, the Y-chromosomal most recent common ancestor (Y-MRCA, informally known as Y-chromosomal Adam) is the patrilineal most recent common ancestor (MRCA) from whom all currently living humans are descended. He is the most recent mal ...
, the most recent ancestor through direct paternal lines of all humans currently alive to ~250,000 years ago.[
Currently estimated to 254 kya (95% confidence interval 192-307 kya).
]
References
{{Authority control
Ethnic groups in Cameroon
Bantu peoples