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Talk:Gambian Creole people

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Difference between Gambian Creoles (Aku people) and Gambian Aku Marabout people

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There are two ethnic groups in The Gambia with 'Aku' somewhere in their ethnonym. The Gambian Creole people or simply Aku people, are descendants of the Sierra Leone Creoles, whose ancestors were Nova Scotian Settlers, Jamaican Maroons and Liberated Africans resettled in Freetown between the late 18th and mid-19th century. Similar to the Sierra Leone Creoles, the Gambian Creoles are Christian and speak the Krio language.

The Gambian Aku Marabout or Aku Mohammedans are a different ethnic group descended from the Oku people of Sierra Leone. The Oku do not share the Nova Scotian or Jamaican Maroon ancestry of the Creoles - they are descended from Yoruba muslim settlers among the general population of ex-slaves in Freetown. They are Muslims with Arabized names who maintain strong ties to their Nigerian marabout heritage. They also maintain polygamous families, engage in female genital mutilation and participate in Bundu secret society rituals. The Sierra Leonean and Gambian Creoles are Christians and do not participate in any of the aforementioned Oku/Aku Mohammedan cultural or religious activities. I have corrected the erroneous 45% Muslim affiliation ascribed to the Gambian Creoles. Please do not confuse these two distinct ethnicities. Inamo11 (talk) 11:00, 20 January 2023 (UTC)[reply]