SUMMARY

The Banya, or Baya, Gbaya, are an ethnic group numbering over 1,2 million people in western Central African Republic and eastern Cameroon. The Banya arrived to their homelands in the early 19th century, seeking refuge from the Fulani of northern Cameroon. A majority of the Banya are Christian, 20% are Muslim, and there is a wide variety of tribal and animist faiths that the Banya adhere to. The historical tribal faiths are losing ground to Christianity and Islam. The Banya live in family compounds and their society is based on patrilineal structures. They are predominantly farmers who practice slash and burn agriculture growing maize and cassava. There has not been any pronounced leader in connection to the violence that the Banya have been involved in.

The Banya ethnic group has been involved in the non-state category of UCDP organised violence.