A festive atmosphere fills the streets of Nikki in northern Benin as thousands of people accompany dignitaries clad in ceremonial attire to the main festival square.
These VIPs—including the King of Nikki—are gathering to celebrate Gaani, a traditional festival honoring three peoples: the Baatonou, Waasangari, and Boo.
"The Baatonou, Boo, and Waasangari peoples must first be categorised into two clans," explains Prince Sime, Cultural Mediator for the Royal Court of Nikki.
"There is the Baatonou clan—known as the indigenous Bariba—and the Waasangari clan, a name meaning 'those who came from elsewhere'."
The Baatonu, Boo, and Waasangari peoples—settled across Benin, Togo, and Nigeria—now gather once a year in August to celebrate their collective memory and the resilience shown in past victories, having once been separated by colonisation.
