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People group profile · PG012081

The Lingala of South Sudan

The Lingala of South Sudan, numbering about 49,000 people, are Unengaged and Unreached. They are a Lingala-speaking community in South Sudan, largely linked to Congolese migration, that preserves the language and cultural traditions of the Congo River region.

They are a diaspora people in the Bantu, Central-Congo people cluster of the Sub-Saharan African Peoples. Their primary religion is Sunni Islam, and they primarily speak Lingala.

Pray for the LingalaPrint profile

AI-generated illustration representing the Lingala people
AI-generated illustration, not a photograph. Photo by Google. (2026). Image generated by Gemini 2.5 Flash: Lingala

Fast facts

Country
South Sudan
Population
49,000
Affinity group
Sub-Saharan African Peoples
People cluster
Bantu, Central-Congo
Primary language
Lingala (lin)
Primary religion
Sunni Islam
Strategic Progress Index
Unengaged and Unreached
Evangelical
No Known Evangelicals
GSEC
Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
Lostness priority
Frontier Unreached People Group
Region
Northern Africa, Africa

Where they live

Gospel status

The Lingala are Unengaged and Unreached, which means fewer than 2% are evangelical Christians, and there has been no reported church planting activity in the past two years. In GSEC terms, this people group is less than 2% evangelical, some evangelical resources are available, but there has been no active church planting among them within the past two years.

  • Congregations exist No
  • Church planting in the last two years No Churches Planted

Next steps for the Lingala

  • Pray that God would send workers to this people group
  • Begin sowing the gospel and seek out people of peace
  • Plant the first churches consistent with evangelical faith and practice

Primary religion

Sunni Islam · Islam

Primary language

Lingala · Atlantic-Congo family

100% speak Lingala

Gospel resources in Lingala

  • Bible available
  • JESUS Film available
  • Radio programs not available
  • Gospel recordings available
  • Audio resources available
  • Bible stories not available

Films

Bibles

Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.

Pray for the Lingala

  1. John 17:3. Pray that many will come to know the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom he has sent.
  2. Psalm 27:1. Pray that new believers will be strengthened in the face of persecution, with the Lord as their stronghold.
  3. Romans 12:4–5. Pray that believers from many cultures will work together as one body so that the church is built up.
  4. Revelation 7:9. Pray for the day when people from this group stand before the throne with every nation, tribe, people and language.

Download a prayer guide

Lingala in other countries

The same people (ROP3 105785) is reported in 8 other countries.

People groupCountryPopulationStatus
LingalaCongo, Democratic Republic of the4,300,000No Longer Unreached
LingalaAngola200,000Engaged yet Unreached
LingalaCongo189,000Engaged yet Unreached
CongoleseUnited States38,000No Longer Unreached
CongoleseUganda27,500No Longer Unreached
LingalaCentral African Republic19,000Engaged yet Unreached
CongoleseBelgium15,500No Longer Unreached
LingalaCanada3,500No Longer Unreached

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