In the Mandinka provinces of Senegal and Gambia, Kankurang is a cultural initiation ceremony practiced throughout the Casamance and Mbour cities and is a major immigrant group. According to tradition, the origin of the Mandinka can be traced back to the Komo, a secret society of hunters whose organization, as well as the practices they followed, were fundamental to the development of the Kankurang. A major part of West Africa is inhabited by the Mandinka, the descendants of the Mali Empire, which rose to prominence as a power in the 13th century under the rule of king Sundiata Keita, who established an empire that would later span much of the continent.
The main character of the game, named Kankurang, is an initiate who wears leaves and has a colored core made from bark of the Faara tree. Among the things he wore were a bark mask and a body paint made of vegetable dyes. The significance of his appearance appears to be associated with circumcision ceremonies and initiatory rites. The entire process of recognizing his appearance is marked by many ritual stages: the identification of the initiator who will wear the mask, his investiture by the elders, the retreat into the forest with the other initiates, and finally the vigils and processions through the hamlet of the new initiates. Generally speaking, the whole ritual is performed between August and September of every year. Every time he parades, the Kankurang is always accompanied by former initiates and the villagers who follow his behaviour and gestures respectfully and perform dances and songs to show their respect to him. A staccato dance accompanies his displays as he wields two machetes and utters piercing cries. The rhythm is defined by the drumming and choruses of his followers as they beat the sticks and leaves of the rhun palm.
Kankurang protects the people from harm since he is the protector of order and justice, as well as an exorcist of evil spirits. Therefore, he is responsible for the transmission and teaching of a complex collection of know-how and practices that underpin the cultural identity of Mandings. Besides learning the rules of behaviour for the ordering of the community, the secrets of plants and their medicinal properties, and hunting techniques, young circumcised boys also learn about the ritual, which has spread to other communities and groups in the area. In Senegal and Gambia, their traditional culture is in decline due to urbanization and the disappearance of sacred forests that are transformed into cultivated land as a result of the rapid urbanization of the country's regions and the rapid urbanization of its regions. This results in the ritual being trivialized and the authority of Kankurang being undermined.
References: https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/kankurang-manding-initiatory-rite-00143
https://www.justactgambia.org/kankurang-tradition
https://allafrica.com/stories/200812170780.html