The Sinyar of Chad

The Sinyar of Chad, numbering approximately 30,500 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are a non-Arab people of eastern Chad's Sila region, also known as the Shamya, whose traditional homeland extends across the Sudan border into Darfur. They mostly adhere to Sunni Islam and Sinyar is their primary language.

Photo by Google. (2026). Image generated by Gemini 2.5 Flash: Sinyar

Fast Facts:

Affinity Group: Sub-Saharan African Peoples
Country: Chad
People Cluster: Ouaddai-Fur
Primary Language(s): Sinyar (sys)
Primary Religion(s): Sunni Islam
Population: 30,500
Strategic Progress Index (SPI): Engaged yet Unreached
Global Status of Evangelical Christianity (GSEC): Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
People Group ID: PG011454
View on Joshua Project

Pray for the Sinyar of Chad

Join others around the world in praying for the lost to be saved, the gospel to advance, the global Church to grow, and for laborers to be sent out and sustained in the harvest.

Dig Deeper (Religion):

Primary Religion: Sunni Islam
Religious Affiliation: Islam

100%
%
Sunni Islam Adherents

Dig Deeper (Language):

Primary Language: Sinyar
Language Family: Central Sudanic

100%
%
Sinyar Speakers

Media Resources in Sinyar:

Films:

No film resources are listed for this language.

Bible Resources in Sinyar:

No Bible resources are listed for this language.

Or check out the Sinyar bible at Bible.com

Linked from YouVersion

SPI: Unreached yet Engaged

The Sinyar are Engaged yet Unreached, which means there are less than 2% evangelical Christian populations but there are sustained efforts at establishing self-sustaining churches consistent with evangelical faith and practice.

Next steps for the Sinyar:
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

Pray specifically for the Sinyar of Chad

I love those who love me, and those who seek me diligently find me.
readProverbs 8:17

As many search for hope, pray they will discover materials that will lead them to Jesus and explain the gospel in a way they will resonate with.

The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.
read2 Peter 3:9

Pray that the lost will not perish but come to repentance and that God's patience and long-suffering will lead them to salvation.

For the LORD takes pleasure in his people; he adorns the humble with salvation.
readPsalm 149:4

Pray that as people place their faith in Christ, they will be encouraged and feel immeasurably loved as they meditate on the fact that God takes pleasure in them.

The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples, and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!”
readJohn 1:35-36

Pray for those God sends to cross cultures to share the gospel, that they might faithfully share the good news of the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.

Sinyar Across Countries (ROP3 - 109317) reported in the following countries:

Strategic Progress Index
All

2 people groups

To download a comprehensive people group list in spreadsheet form, visit our Research Data page.

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