The Baboa people (singular Boa, also Ababua, Ababwa, Babua, Babwa, Bwa) are an ethnic group in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. They speak the Bwa language.[1]
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| 900,000 | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Bas-Uele District, Democratic Republic of the Congo | located near the congo river. |
| Languages | |
| Bwa | |
The Baboa live in the savanna region in the north of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. They are in close contact with the Mangbetu and Zande peoples.[2] Most of the inhabitants of the Bas-Uele District, with a population of 900,000 in 2007, are Boa. They live mainly through subsistence farming and hunting, with some river commerce.[3]
The Baboa are known for their masks, which are thought to be used to enhance a warrior's courage before battle and in ceremonies to celebrate victories. The Boa carve statues designed to ward off evil. They also make harps where the neck has a carved human head, or the whole body represents a male or female figure.[2] Between 1903 and 1910 the Baboa were in rebellion against the Belgian colonial occupiers of the region.[4]
References
edit- ^ "Bwa". Ethnologue. Retrieved 2011-10-08.
- ^ a b "BOA (ABABUA, ABABWA, BABOA, BABUA, BABWA, BUA, BWA)". AFRICAN ART MUSEUM. Retrieved 2011-10-08.
- ^ Emizet F. Kisangani, F. Scott Bobb (2010). Historical Dictionary of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Scarecrow Press. p. 45. ISBN 0-8108-5761-8.
- ^ Ambroise V. Bukassa (2010). Congo-Zaïre: éternel rebelle au consensus politique. Editions L'Harmattan. p. 8. ISBN 2-296-12502-6.