The Ngbandi are an ethnic group from the region of the upper Ubangi River; they inhabit the northern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and southern Central African Republic.

Historically the Ngbandi were subsistence farmers, and many still grow maize, manioc, and other food crops.

They were once known as warriors, and some of the most prized African knives and lances were made by their craftsmen.

This culture and others of Sudan had close connections, as expressed by shared usage of a musical instrument, a kind of harp, whose form is distinctive to this area.

[1] Mobutu Sese Seko, the president and dictator of Zaire, came from the Ngbandi ethnic group and was born in Lisala, DRC.