The Kotoko people, also called Mser, Moria, Bara and Makari, are a Chadic ethnic group located in northern Cameroon, Chad and Nigeria. The Kotoko population is composed of approximately 90,000 people of which the majority live in Cameroon. The Kotoko form part of the Chadic people. Their mother tongue is Lagwan and other Mandage languages. Most of the Kotoko are Sunni Muslims.
History
They founded the Kotoko kingdom in the 1500 CE, and are considered to be descendants of the Sao civilization.
Economy and religion
The Kotoko engage in fishing (with the aid of their long canoes) and in agriculture. The fish they catch is subsequently smoked or dried then sold in local markets. Wealthier families also raise cattle.
Most Kotoko profess Islam and are Sunni Muslims. The Kotoko began adopting the religion around the 16th century. Other Kotoko communities did not convert until the 18th century. The Kotoko converted to Islam due to the growing presence of Muslim merchants and clerics from the Kanem-Bornu Empire. Many traditional beliefs and practices are incorporated into the Islamic practices of the Kotoko.