People group profile · PG013557
The Maninka of Mali
The Maninka of Mali, numbering about 774,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are heirs to the medieval Mali Empire founded when Sundiata Keita defeated the Ghana Empire in 1235, a Mande people also called Mandingo or Malinke whose farming settlements date back some 7,000 years across the West Sudanian savanna.
They are an indigenous people in the Malinke people cluster of the Sub-Saharan African Peoples. Their primary religion is Sunni Islam, and they primarily speak Western Maninkakan.
Fast facts
- Country
- Mali
- Population
- 774,000
- Affinity group
- Sub-Saharan African Peoples
- People cluster
- Malinke
- Primary language
- Western Maninkakan (mlq)
- Primary religion
- Sunni Islam
- Strategic Progress Index
- Engaged yet Unreached
- Evangelical
- Less than 2%
- GSEC
- Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
- Lostness priority
- Pioneer Unreached People Group
- Region
- Western Africa, Africa
Where they live
Gospel status
The Maninka 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 Maninka
- 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
Sunni Islam · Islam
80% adherents
Primary language
Western Maninkakan · Mande family
80% speak Western Maninkakan
Gospel resources in Western Maninkakan
- Bible available
- JESUS Film available
- Radio programs not available
- Gospel recordings available
- Audio resources available
- Bible stories not available
Films
- JESUS (Malinke, Kenieba)
Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.
Pray for the Maninka
- Romans 12:4–5. Pray that believers from many cultures will work together as one body so that the church is built up.
- Revelation 7:9. Pray for the day when people from this group stand before the throne with every nation, tribe, people and language.
- John 17:3. Pray that many will come to know the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom he has sent.
- Psalm 27:1. Pray that new believers will be strengthened in the face of persecution, with the Lord as their stronghold.
Maninka, Western in other countries
The same people (ROP3 106266) is reported in 3 other countries.
| People group | Country | Population | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maninka | Senegal | 679,000 | Engaged yet Unreached |
| Maninka | Burkina Faso | 194,000 | Engaged yet Unreached |
| Maninka | United States | 5,700 | Engaged yet Unreached |
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