Maka are considered as Bantu as far as linguistics are concerned. The Maka tribe include the Bikele, Bikay, So, Bebent, Mekuk, Ndjuan Bikan (Maka of Akonolinga), Maka Mbwanz, Besep, Mbyep, Kako and the Pompom of the Moloundou region. They massively live in the one third of the Haut-Nyong and in the South- west of the Lom and Djerem. From the east to the south, they neighbored the country of the Kozime which is made up of the populations of Djem, Dzimu and Badju. In the occidental part, they are closed to the Bulu and Beti such as the Yebeko, Omvang, Bamvele and Bebili. In the north east, they are near the Gbaya, and some other populations considered as “semi-bantu” such as the Kaka and the Bakam. But where does the name Maka comes from?
1- Signification of the word “Maka”
Maka is a deformation of the local word Meka. Meka is the plural of Ka which represents a type of thorny creeper of their ancestors named Mpambe. Some people think, that they lived in the ancient days in a forest where those latter were merely found and they had belt their first village there named Meka. Others think that they have been called so because they are famous for their wickedness. From the testimonies we got from a patriarchal named Kamanda, we believe that the name has been given by the Germans. They got the inspiration from the local word used by the villagers to designate those creepers of the region. Where does the Maka come from?
2- Myths and hypotheses of the Maka origin
There are many different myths and hypotheses on their origin.
• Myths
Some oral sources stipulate that God(Zembi) may have fabricated them on earth (Shi).
Another tradition and the most popular state that their ancestors may have crossed a big river called Mpwamb/ Mpombo/ Mpomb. This crossing may have been done on a footbridge of very strong creepers.
• Hypotheses
Some historians think that the Maka may come from the north of the Sanaga River. They believe that they have been pushed out of that area during the 17thand the 18thcentury by the Gbaya and they had cross the river and entered the forest following the north-east-south-west direction.
Some other writers such as A.G Azola (author of “Monographie sur l’ethnie Maka”) locate their origin in India or in Asia. For him, the Maka have been pushed back to the west by the Arabs when they reached Somalia and Ethiopia and it is from there they settled in the eastern part of the Cameroon coming from the north east.
It is also thought that they entered Cameroon through the Congo River basin or modern Chad during the 14th and 17th century.
According to their oral tradition and the information we got from one of their elders, the Mpombo / Mpwamb/ Mpwomb is the actual Mpouop- Boumba River. The Maka would have cross the “Kadi”(Kadei nowadays), the “Jume”(Doume) and finally the Mpwamb. They may have come from a place that is neighboring the Bayong village after de Nyong River.
As a matter of facts, we can conclude by saying that the Maka come from the left bank of the Boumba River accurately in between the Boumba, the Sanaga, and the Kadei Rivers: a territory which has the Yokadouma town or region as center. However, how do they find themselves there?
3- Brief history of the various migrations of the Maka
Considering the fact that the Maka belong to the Bantu which lived primarily in the west Cameroon or the grass fields’ zones, they have migrated following the northern bangs of the equatorial forest before they undertake the great expansion which led them to occupy the central, oriental and austral part of Africa. Being mostly caused by a demographic boom, those migrations were massifs and very slow until they finally established on their actual territory.
The Maka, Djem and Douala constitute the old Bantu and they may have been part of the “Ambu migration”. Those populations settled down from the north to the south following the vertical axis of the Sangha basin. The Maka people were situated in Yokadouma that is in the border area between Cameroon, Congo and the Central African Republic.
It is believed that they left Yokadouma to establish in the south east because of the various families conflicts, some witchcraft accusations and primary because they were searching for a hunting, farming and fishing territory. Let us take a glance at the geographical setting of their actual area.
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