[3] In the early nineteenth century, both groups came under the rule of the Fulani Muslims, who they are said to have intermarried in large numbers.
Despite this, the Mbum and Dii peoples still managed to hold on to their traditional spiritual beliefs until the twentieth century.
ALCAM (2012) considers Mbum, Larang, Pana and Gbata to be four distinct but closely related languages.
Pana (also spoken in Chad), Karang, Kali-dek and Kuo are eastern varieties that may be separate languages.
[6] To the south, Gbata is spoken in the northern part of the arrondissement of Bélabo in Lom-et-Djerem department, Eastern Region.