Kanembu kabila ce ta Chadi, galibi ana ɗaukarta zuriyar zamani na Daular Kanem-Bornu . Lambar Kanembu an kiyasta kimanin mutane 655,000, wadanda suke a farko a lardin Lac na Chadi amma kuma a lardunan Chari-Baguirmi da Kanem. Suna magana da yaren Kanembu, wanda yaren Kanuri ya samo asali, tare da yawa suna magana da Larabci a matsayin yare na biyu. Kalmar Kanembu na nufin "mutanen [ bu ] na Kanem ." Fiye da shekaru dubu Masarautar Kanem-Bornu ta kasance tana da ƙarfi a tsakiyar Arewacin Afirka. Tasirin tasirinsa ya mamaye Gabashin Najeriya da Nijar, da arewacin Chadi, Kamaru, da Libya. Mazaunan nata sun yi kasuwanci tare da Misira kuma sun ɗauki nauyin makarantun Islamiyya har zuwa Alexandria. Ayarin raƙumanta sun isa tsarkakakkun biranen Makka da Madina. Har zuwa farkon 1900s da Turawan Faransa suka mamaye wannan yanki, Daular Kanem-Bornu ita ce babbar iko a tsakiyar tsakiyar Arewacin Afirka. A ƙarshen karni na goma sha biyu, Kanembu ya koma cikin yankin da ke Yankin Kanem a yau. Sannu a hankali sun zama masu zaman kansu kuma sun kafa babban birni a Njimi ; a lokaci guda, suka ci gaba da faɗaɗa soja na kafa Daular Kanem .