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People group profile · PG047650

The Bambara of the United States

The Bambara of the United States, numbering about 5,700 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are a Mandé-speaking people of Mali and neighboring West African countries who share a common language, cultural heritage, and historical identity rooted in the middle Niger River basin.

They are a diaspora people in the Malinke-Bambara people cluster of the Sub-Saharan African Peoples. Their primary religion is Sunni Islam, and they primarily speak Bambara.

Pray for the BambaraPrint profile

AI-generated illustration representing the Bambara people
AI-generated illustration, not a photograph. Photo by Google. (2026). Image generated by Gemini 3.1 Flash: Bambara

Fast facts

Country
United States
Population
5,700
Affinity group
Sub-Saharan African Peoples
People cluster
Malinke-Bambara
Primary language
Bambara (bam)
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
Frontier Unreached People Group
Region
Northern America, Americas

Where they live

Gospel status

The Bambara 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 Bambara

  • 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

93% adherents

Primary language

Bambara · Mande family

100% speak Bambara

Gospel resources in Bambara

  • Bible available
  • 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 Bambara

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

Download a prayer guide

Bambara in other countries

The same people (ROP3 100925) is reported in 9 other countries.

People groupCountryPopulationStatus
BambaraMali7,780,000Engaged yet Unreached
BambaraCote d’Ivoire1,500,000No Longer Unreached
French-speaking West AfricansFrance133,000Engaged yet Unreached
BambaraSenegal102,000Unengaged and Unreached
BambaraNiger60,000Engaged yet Unreached
BambaraMauritania27,000Unengaged and Unreached
BambaraGambia26,000Unengaged and Unreached
BambaraBurkina Faso7,900Engaged yet Unreached
BambaraGuinea6,200Unengaged and Unreached

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