Kotoko people

The Kotoko people, also called Mser, Moria, Bara and Makari,[1] are a Chadic ethnic group located in northern Cameroon, Chad and Nigeria.[2] The Kotoko population is composed of approximately 90,000 people of which the majority live in Cameroon. The Kotoko form part of the Chadic people. Their mother tongue is Lagwan. Most of the Kotoko are Sunni Muslims.

Kotoko
Kotoko woman (1912)
Total population
90,000 people
Regions with significant populations
northern Cameroon, Chad and Nigeria
Languages
Lagwan
Religion
Islam

History

They founded the Kotoko kingdom in the 1500 CE,[3] and are considered to be descendants of the Sao civilization.[4]

Economy and religion

The Kotoko engage in fishing (with the aid of their long canoes) and in agriculture. The fish they catch is subsequently smoked or dried then sold in local markets. Wealthier families also raise cattle.[5]

Most Kotoko profess Islam. Most of them are Sunni Muslims. The Kotoko converted to Islam via cultural influences from the Kanem-Bornu Empire. Many traditional beliefs and practices are incorporated into the Islamic practices of the Kotoko.[5]

References
  1. People Groups Archived 2019-12-15 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved June 03, 2013, to 12: 56 pm.
  2. UNHCR. Cameroon: The Kotoko ethnic group including its homeland and relationship with the National Union for Democracy and Progress (UNDP) Archived 2020-04-29 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved June 03, 2013, to 01: 01 pm.
  3. Depetris-Chauvin, Emilio. "State History And Contemporary Conflict: Evidence From Sub-Saharan Africa" (PDF). University of California Berkeley. Universidad de Los Andes. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2019-06-30. Retrieved 2019-06-30.
  4. Gritzner, Jeffrey Allman. "Lake Chad". Encyclopedia Britannica. Encyclopedia Britannica. Archived from the original on 2019-07-22. Retrieved 2019-06-30.
  5. Azevedo, Mario J.; Decalo, Samuel (2018). Historical Dictionary of Chad. Rowman & Littlefield. pp. 303–304. ISBN 978-1-5381-1437-7. Archived from the original on 2022-04-07. Retrieved 2020-12-12.
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