Ngbandi (people)
Ngbandi girls, Ubangi-Shari 1905
The Ngbandi are a people of the upper Ubangi River, who inhabit the southern part of the Central African Republic and the northern part of the Congo .
Their language, the Ngbangi, is a Niger-Congo language . The Ngbandi were and are mostly farmers who grow corn , cassava , peanuts, sweet potatoes and other crops. Until recently, parts of their existence depended on traditional hunting and gathering. The Ngbandi were once known as fine warriors, and some of their most highly touted Central African knives and lances were made by their world-renowned artisans. The Ngbandi culture includes an elegantly curved bow harp , similar to that found in some neighboring ethnic groups in the Sudan region .