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People group profile · PG012496

The Bakwele of Cameroon

The Bakwele of Cameroon, numbering about 43,500 people, are No Longer Unreached. They are a Central African tribal group of eastern Gabon, Republic of the Congo, and Cameroon.

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

Pray for the BakwelePrint profile

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

Fast facts

Country
Cameroon
Population
43,500
Affinity group
Sub-Saharan African Peoples
People cluster
Bantu, Central-Congo
Primary language
Bekwel (bkw)
Primary religion
Ethnoreligion
Strategic Progress Index
No Longer Unreached
Evangelical
5% or Greater but Less than 10%
GSEC
5% or Greater but Less than 10% Evangelical
Lostness priority
Moderately Reached People Group
Region
Middle Africa, Africa

Where they live

Gospel status

The Bakwele are No Longer Unreached, which means 2% or more are evangelical Christians. In GSEC terms, this people group is greater than or equal to 5% evangelical.

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

Next steps for the Bakwele

  • Pray for the churches among this group to grow in faithfulness and maturity
  • Equip believers to reach the unreached peoples around them
  • Send out laborers from this people to the nations

Primary religion

Ethnoreligion

Primary language

Bekwel · Atlantic-Congo family

100% speak Bekwel

Gospel resources in Bekwel

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

Films

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

Pray for the Bakwele

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

Download a prayer guide

Bakwele in other countries

The same people (ROP3 100830) is reported in 2 other countries.

People groupCountryPopulationStatus
BakweleCongo16,000No Longer Unreached
BakweleGabon5,900No Longer Unreached

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