The Samo (also Sanan) is a sub-ethnic group of the Mandinka people from West Africa. They mainly live in northwest Burkina Faso and across the border in southern Mali.
The Kalemse, also known as the Samo, are principally found in Burkina Faso's northwest region, though there are some Kalemse villages in Mali.
Don, Matya, Matye, Maya, Ninisi, Saman, Samogo, Samorho, Samoro, Samorrho, Samos, Sanan, Saneno, Sane, San, Sanu, Semou.
According Peoplegroups.org, 2025:
The Samo live in northwestern Burkina Faso, in a dry, arid area that receives minimal rainfall. Four different dialects with limited intelligibility makes ministry and translation in the mother tongue difficult.
Approximately 75% of the Samo are bilingual in Jula, the trade language of western Burkina Faso.
Young people have difficulty advancing in the workforce, and frequently resort to subsistence farming in order to support their families. The Samo culture is a mixture of traditional and modern influences. Women wear traditional African cloths, while men and children dress in Western style clothing. Village chiefs settle small disputes, but national government officials preside over larger conflicts. Modernization is seen in the increasing use of motorcycles and bush taxis, and some villages even have solar-powered pumps that provide water year-round.
Samo (Sane, San, Sa), also known as Mande Samo, is a dialect cluster of Mande languages spoken in Burkina Faso and Mali.
Intelligibility between Samo varieties is low. The following have been coded as separate languages:
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