People group profile · PG013436
The Wassalu of Guinea
The Wassalu of Guinea, numbering about 93,500 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are a Mande people of the Wassoulou cultural region at the Guinea-Mali-Ivory Coast border, homeland of Samori Toure, the Malinke leader who built the Wassoulou Empire and led a two-decade resistance against French conquest before his 1898 capture.
They are an indigenous people in the Malinke-Bambara people cluster of the Sub-Saharan African Peoples. Their primary religion is Folk Islam, and they primarily speak Eastern Maninkakan.
Fast facts
- Country
- Guinea
- Population
- 93,500
- Affinity group
- Sub-Saharan African Peoples
- People cluster
- Malinke-Bambara
- Primary language
- Eastern Maninkakan (emk)
- Primary religion
- Folk Islam
- Strategic Progress Index
- Engaged yet Unreached
- Evangelical
- Less than 2%
- GSEC
- Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
- Lostness priority
- Frontier Unreached People Group
- Region
- Western Africa, Africa
Where they live
Gospel status
The Wassalu 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 No
- Church planting in the last two years No Churches Planted
Next steps for the Wassalu
- 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
Folk Islam · Islam
98% adherents
Primary language
Eastern Maninkakan · Mande family
100% speak Eastern Maninkakan
Gospel resources in Eastern Maninkakan
- Bible available, published 1993
- JESUS Film available
- Radio programs not available
- Gospel recordings available
- Audio resources available
- Bible stories not available
Films
- JESUS (Maninka)
Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.
Pray for the Wassalu
- Matthew 9:37–38. Ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest field.
- 2 Timothy 2:2. Pray for faithful local leaders who will teach others, so that the church multiplies.
- Ephesians 5:8. Pray that those walking in darkness will turn to the light and live as children of light.
- Romans 10:14–15. Ask God to send messengers, so that people can hear, believe and call on the name of the Lord.
Wasulu in other countries
The same people (ROP3 110714) is reported in 2 other countries.
| People group | Country | Population | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wassalu | Mali | 270,000 | Engaged yet Unreached |
| Wassulu | Cote d’Ivoire | 19,500 | Engaged yet Unreached |
Know something we don't? Submit updates to IMB Global Research.