• Indigenous peoples in the Central African Republic

    Indigenous peoples in the Central African Republic

    There are three indigenous groups in the Central African Republic (CAR): the M’bororo Fulani, the Aka and the Litho. CAR voted in favour of the 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.
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Central African Republic

Indigenous Peoples in the Central African Republic

There are three Indigenous groups in the Central African Republic (CAR): the Mbororo Fulani, the Aka and the Litho. The Mbororo Fulani are generally nomadic herders. They live in the prefectures of Ouaka in the centre-east, M’bomou in the south-east and Lobaye in the south-west. The 2003 census estimated their population at 39,299 individuals, or around 1% of the total population. They have a strong presence in rural areas, accounting for 14% of the global population, as opposed to 0.2% in urban areas. The constant military and political crises in the CAR since 2013 have profoundly disrupted their pastoralist way of life. The Mbororo are becoming increasingly drawn to a sedentary lifestyle and are opting for agriculture to survive.

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, which they consider to be their herit- age and where they live by their traditional activities of hunting, gathering and fishing. The Aka live in the prefectures of Lobaye, Ombella Mpoko and Sangha-Mbaéré in the south-west, and Mambéré Kadéi in the west.

The Litho are a minority group located in the north of the country. They are semi-nomadic and practise farming, hunting, gathering and fishing.

 

International Mechanisms

CAR voted in favour of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in September 2007 and ratified ILO Conven- tion 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 Indigenous World 2021: Central African Republic

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 living in the CAR: the M’bororo Fulani, the Aka and the Litho.

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Indigenous World 2019: Central African Republic

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.

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Indigenous World

IWGIA's global report, the Indigenous World, provides an update of the current situation for Indigenous Peoples worldwide. Read The Indigenous World.

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