Liberia: Information on the Geo (Gio, Gyo) tribe, its make up, its animist practices including possible human sacrifice or ritual murders, on the treatment of those who leave the tribe; on the geographical distribution of this tribe and their area of predominant inhabitance
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 1 April 1996 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | LBR23527.E |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Liberia: Information on the Geo (Gio, Gyo) tribe, its make up, its animist practices including possible human sacrifice or ritual murders, on the treatment of those who leave the tribe; on the geographical distribution of this tribe and their area of predominant inhabitance, 1 April 1996, LBR23527.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6acdc44.html [accessed 17 September 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
According to Liberia: a Country Study (!984, 292n1), the word Gio "appears to be pejorative, e.g. Gio means slave". The same source indicates that the Gio are also known as the Dan. The Dan tribe belongs to the southern branch of the Mande, one of the three main linguistic families of Liberia (ibid.). According to Ethnologue: Languages of the World, the population of the Dan, or Gio, in Liberia was estimated at 196,800 in 1991 and is concentrated in Nimba county, in north-central Liberia (1992, 287-88). The attached sections of the above-mentioned publications provide maps with information on the geographical distribution of the Dan.
A doctor of social anthropology, who specializes on West Africa and who is currently working at the Maryland Office for New Americans in Baltimore, Maryland, stated during a 29 March 1996 telephone interview that although there are some occasional ritual murders in Liberia, these occurences are not specific to the culture of the Dan (Gio) or of any other ethnic group in Liberia. The same source added that the Gio are reputed for their ritual masks which, according to Gio popular beliefs, conceal supernatural powers or attribute such powers to those wearing the masks.
Further information on Gio culture and animist beliefs, as well as information on the treatment of those who leave the tribe, could not be found among the sources consulted by the DIRB. For information on indigenous religions in Liberia, please refer to the attached excerpts of Liberia: A Country Study.
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the DIRB within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.
References
Doctor of Social Anthropology with expertise on West Africa, currently working for the Maryland Office for New Americans, Baltimore, Maryland. 29 March 1996. Telephone interview.
Liberia: A Country Study. 1984. Edited by Harold D. Nelson. Washington, DC: Secretary of the Army.
Ethnologue: Languages of the World. 1992. Edited by Barbara F. Grimes. Dallas, Texas: Summer Institute of Linguistics.
Attachments
Liberia: A Country Study. 1984. Edited by Harold D. Nelson. Washington, DC: Secretary of the Army, pp. 86-97, 124-127, 292.
Ethnologue: Languages of the World. 1992. Edited by Barbara F. Grimes. Dallas, Texas: Summer Institute of Linguistics, pp. 287-88.
Additional Sources Consulted
Foreign Broadcast Information Service (FBIS) Reports. Daily.
Material from the Indexed Media Review (IMR) or country files containing articles and reports from diverse sources (primarily dailies and periodicals) from the Weekly Media Review.
Minority Rights Group International. Various dates. London: Minority Rights Group International.
On-line searches for news articles (NEXIS)
Oral sources.