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Kankourang Festival de Mbour in Mbour
The Kankourang in Mbour is a UNESCO-recognized Mandinka masked ritual tied to boys' circumcision and initiation, performed by Mbour's significant Mandinka community. Held over roughly a month each year, it features masked figures covered in red bark fiber who patrol the streets protecting newly circumcised boys, though recent editions have drawn security restrictions after violent incidents.
The Kankourang, known by variant names including kankouran, kankurang and konkoran across the region, is a masked ritual central to Mandinka culture in Senegambia, tied specifically to the circumcision and initiation of boys into manhood.