Aku people

Aku people
Total population
1-2% of The Gambia's population
Languages
Aku (a dialect of Krio), English
Religion
Christianity
Related ethnic groups
Americo Liberian, African American, Black British, West Indian


The Aku, Krio, or Creole are a minority ethnic group of Gambia with roots among the Sierra Leone Creole people.

In Gambia the Akus account for about 1% of the population. Some estimates put the figure higher. Gambian Akus are descendants of Sierra Leone Liberated Africans, Settlers, transatlantic immigrants to the Gambia, and liberated Africans dropped off in the Gambia. Gambian Krios are an extension of the Freetown community of Creoles, and they have roots in the West Indies, North America, England, and the various African communities of Liberated African slaves. Gambian Akus also have some European heritage through intermarriage and through their connections to Freetown Creoles. Many speak Aku, an English-based creole language similar to the Krio language of Sierra Leone.

Aku Marabouts

In Sierra Leone, the Aku Marabouts are known as Okus or Akus (Aku Muslims) or Marabouts, while in the Gambia, the term Aku refers to the entire Creole population. In the Gambia, "Aku Marabout" is the term used for the Oku people as Aku Creoles in and around Banjul are Christian.


Sources

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 12/31/2015. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.