The Punu or Bapunu, are considered a Bantu meta-ethnicity of Central Africa. They are one of the four major people of Gabon, inhabiting interior mountain and grassland areas. The Punu reside on the left bank of the Upper Ngoume River and belong to a group of tribes known as Shira which were originally part of the Luango kingdom of Angola with the Eshira, the Lumbo, the Vili, the Galoa and the Vungu people.  The Punu, who speak the Yipunu or Yisira language, had migrated northwards during the 18th century and settled where they are now.

The Punu live in independent villages divided into clans and families and social cohesion is ensured by a society known as Moukouji, whose primary role is to subjugate harmful forest spirits. During ceremonies related to the society, small statues and masks appear which are often covered in white pigments alluding to their anti-witchcraft functions.

Source:  Baquart, Jean-Baptiste. The Tribal Arts of Africa. New York: Thames and Hudson Inc. 1998. Print.