SUMMARY

The Kpelle people occupy most of central Liberia and are also found in Guinea, where they are often called the Guerze. There are about 804 000 Kpelle in Liberia, with some 549 000 in Guinea.

Shortly before the end of the sixteenth century, the Kpelle people migrated from the area of western Sudan to their current holdings in Liberia and Guinea. Possessing better skill and agricultural techniques, they quickly overtook the foraging peoples already there to expand into their present territory. They engaged in sporadic warfare until the late 1930s, with the title of “war chief” traditionally being recognized as a prestigious office that has since become obsolete.

Religiously, the Kpelle people are mostly Muslim, with about 40% adhering to Christianity. They are primarily farmers, with rice as their main crop. Typically, the households consist of a man, his several wives and their children, with everyone being involved in the farming.

Each Kpelle town has its own chief, who in turn answers to the head of the district. Several districts make up a chiefdom and the district chiefs act as liaisons between the people and the paramount chief of that chiefdom. These paramount chiefs, in turn, serve as government officials and mediators between the people and the modern government, but also performing more traditional duties such as settling disputes, preserving order and maintaining roads.

The Kpelle have been involved in the non-state category of UCDP organized violence.