People group profile · PG013589
The Soninke of Mauritania
The Soninke of Mauritania, numbering about 151,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are a West African Mnade-speaking ethnic group inhabiting Mali, southern Mauritania, eastern Senegal, The Gambia, and Guinea.
They are an indigenous people in the Soninke people cluster of the Sub-Saharan African Peoples. Their primary religion is Folk Islam, and they primarily speak Soninke.
Fast facts
- Country
- Mauritania
- Population
- 151,000
- Affinity group
- Sub-Saharan African Peoples
- People cluster
- Soninke
- Primary language
- Soninke (snk)
- Primary religion
- Folk Islam
- Strategic Progress Index
- Engaged yet Unreached
- Evangelical
- No Known Evangelicals
- 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 Soninke 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 Soninke
- 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
Soninke · Mande family
100% speak Soninke
Gospel resources in Soninke
- Bible available
- JESUS Film available
- Radio programs not available
- Gospel recordings available
- Audio resources available
- Bible stories available
Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.
Pray for the Soninke
- 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.
Soninke in other countries
The same people (ROP3 109413) is reported in 6 other countries.
| People group | Country | Population | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Soninke | Mali | 2,290,000 | Engaged yet Unreached |
| Soninke | Senegal | 634,000 | Engaged yet Unreached |
| Soninke | Cote d’Ivoire | 240,000 | Engaged yet Unreached |
| Soninke | Gambia | 204,000 | Engaged yet Unreached |
| Soninke | Guinea-Bissau | 11,500 | Engaged yet Unreached |
| Soninke | United States | 5,200 | Engaged yet Unreached |
Know something we don't? Submit updates to IMB Global Research.