Prayer Points
- For receptivity to Christ-centered evangelism.
- For the government for wisdom in handling extreme issues of poverty.
- For unity among Malian ministries and churches.
- For just and righteous leaders in government, business and the Church of Mali.
LOCATION
Interior Western Africa, southwest of Algeria, north of Guinea, Cote d'Ivoire, and Burkina Faso, west of Niger
POPULATION
18 689 966 (2017 est.)
RELIGION
Muslim 94.8%
Christian 2.4%
Animist 2%
none 0.5%
unspecified 0.3% (2009 est.)
AGE STRUCTURE
0-14 years: 47.7% (male 3,824,877/female 3,794,196)
15-24 years: 19% (male 1,439,032/female 1,587,072)
25-54 years: 26.6% (male 1,980,766/female 2,270,676)
55-64 years: 3.7% (male 297,365/female 295,495)
65 years and over: 3% (male 240,681/female 238,722) (2013 est.)
LITERACY DEFINITION
Age 15 and over can read and write
INTERNET USERS
2 212 450 (2017)
UNEMPLOYMENT RATE
30% (2015 est.)
MISSIONARIES (2010)
Sent 10
Received: 500
UNREACHED PEOPLE GROUPS
45
We Pray...
Father, we want to pray for Mali. We pray that Malians will be receptive of Christ-centered evangelism and that they will resist temptations to embrace the Islamic faith.
Lord, we pray for wisdom in handling extreme issues of poverty that hinder growth and development in Mali. We also pray for the evangelization of the Bambara people, which would also impact other tribes coming to Christ.
Father, we pray for African and Malian Ministries working in Mali to collaborate with foreign missions and to have a galvanizing effect on the national churches. Lord, we ask that You will establish just and righteous leaders in government, business and the Church in Mali. Amen
State of the Church
Muslims constitute an estimated 90% of the population although the constitution and other laws protect religious freedom and, in practice, the government generally enforces these protections.
Although with the Islamic militant influenced rebellion sought a number of people dismembered or even killed because of their believes or because of Sharia law which was put in place where the rebels took over.
Many atrocities were committed this led to quite a number of people leaving Islam for Christianity. At this moment the Church is growing despite of persecution in some areas.
Overview
Mali is considered one of the poorest countries in the world. But since the 1990’s it has experience immense economical growth and has become a democratic country who enjoy relative social stability.
In 2012 all of that changed when Taureg rebels took over 3 Northern states. This all started when Malian returnees from Libya in 2011 exacerbated tensions in northern Mali. This led to Taureg ethnic militias to start a rebellion in January 2012. Many of the states soldiers, frustrated with how the rebellion was handled, succeeded in overthrowing the president ,Amadou Toumani Toure who was serving his second term, on 22 March.
Power was returned to civilian administration in April with the appointed interim President Dioncounda Traore. As mentioned all of this chaos led to the rebels expelling the Malian military from three northern regions of the country and allowed Islamic militants to set up strongholds. What followed was Hundreds of thousands of northern Malians who fled the violence to southern Mali and neighbouring countries, worsening already bad regional food insecurity in host communities. Those who stayed faced horrible atrocities performed by the rebels.
An French led international military intervention to retake the three northern regions began in January 2013 and within a month most of the north had been retaken. In a democratic presidential election conducted in July and August of 2013, Ibrahim Boubacar Keita was elected president in the second round.
Today Mali is trying to recover from it volatile past, starting programs which urges refugees to return to their own country.
More Resources:
- African Prayer Initiative: Pray Africa
Bibliography
- INcontext ministries – http://incontextministries.org/
- CIA World Factbook
- Atlas of Global Christianity – Todd M.Johnson & Kenneth R. Ross (Published by – Edinburgh University Press) (Missionaries and national workers: Africa 2010, page 267)
- Prayercast – http://prayercast.com/
- Unreached people groups – http://www.joshuaproject.net
- The voice of the Martyrs – http://www.persecution.com/
- Jul-Dec, 2010 International Religious Freedom Report – http://www.state.gov/j/drl/rls/irf/2010_5/index.htm
- Operation World – http://www.operationworld.org/african-countries