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People group profile · PG012116

The Murele of South Sudan

The Murele of South Sudan, numbering about 148,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are an eastern Sudanic ethnolinguistic group indigenous to the Jonglei state of South Sudan.

They are an indigenous people in the Nilotic people cluster of the Sub-Saharan African Peoples. Their primary religion is Animism, and they primarily speak Murle.

Pray for the MurelePrint profile

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

Fast facts

Country
South Sudan
Population
148,000
Affinity group
Sub-Saharan African Peoples
People cluster
Nilotic
Primary language
Murle (mur)
Primary religion
Animism
Strategic Progress Index
Engaged yet Unreached
Evangelical
Less than 2%
GSEC
Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
Lostness priority
Expanding Unreached People Group
Region
Northern Africa, Africa
Location
onglei state: Bor and Pibor counties

Where they live

Gospel status

The Murele are Engaged yet Unreached, which means fewer than 2% are evangelical Christians, but there are sustained efforts to establish self-sustaining churches consistent with evangelical faith and practice. 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 Yes
  • Church planting in the last two years No Churches Planted

Next steps for the Murele

  • Continue prayer and fasting for this group
  • Continue gospel seed sowing and church planting among this group
  • Begin training up local leaders to lead and develop strategies to reach their own people

Primary religion

Animism · Ethnoreligion

90% adherents

Primary language

Murle · Surmic family

100% speak Murle

Gospel resources in Murle

  • Bible available, published 2014
  • 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 Murele

  1. Matthew 9:37–38. Ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest field.
  2. 2 Timothy 2:2. Pray for faithful local leaders who will teach others, so that the church multiplies.
  3. Ephesians 5:8. Pray that those walking in darkness will turn to the light and live as children of light.
  4. Romans 10:14–15. Ask God to send messengers, so that people can hear, believe and call on the name of the Lord.

Download a prayer guide

Murele in other countries

The same people (ROP3 106921) is reported in 1 other country.

People groupCountryPopulationStatus
MurleEthiopia2,400Engaged yet Unreached

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