Mbaïki, city in western Central African Republic, capital of Lobaye Prefecture, 107 km (66 mi) southwest of the country's capital, Bangui. Mbaïki is a center of coffee and timber production and has a large market and Peace Corps training camp. Northeast of the city is an area known for its ebony carving.
Most of Mbaïki's people belong to the Sangha-speaking Lobaye (M'Baka) clan of the Ubangui people. A few thousand Aka or pygmies, the original inhabitants of the region, have settled in camps south of the city. Their traditional lifestyle differs greatly from neighboring groups. They are monogamous hunter-gathers organized in small clans with no chiefs, hierarchical structures, or divisions of labor. Several prominent leaders, including the country's first president David Dacko, came from this area. Mbaïki was created in 1906 by the French as a military post to counter a local insurrection against colonial trading companies. Population (1988) 29,495.Microsoft® Encarta® Online Encyclopedia 2001
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