The Palaka Senufo of Cote d’Ivoire

The Palaka Senufo of Cote d’Ivoire, numbering approximately 17,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are a Senufo people of Cote d'Ivoire who separated from the main Senufo stock before the 1300s, remaining in place as the founding of the Bambara trade town of Kong sent related Senufo groups migrating outward, later colonized by the French and Mandingo. They mostly adhere to Ethnoreligion and Palaka Senoufo is their primary language.

Photo by Google. (2026). Image generated by Gemini 2.5 Flash: Senufo, Palaka

Fast Facts:

Affinity Group: Sub-Saharan African Peoples
Country: Cote d’Ivoire
People Cluster: Gur
Primary Language(s): Palaka Senoufo (plr)
Primary Religion(s): Ethnoreligion
Population: 17,000
Strategic Progress Index (SPI): Engaged yet Unreached
Global Status of Evangelical Christianity (GSEC): Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
People Group ID: PG013124
View on Joshua Project

Pray for the Palaka Senufo of Cote d’Ivoire

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: Ethnoreligion
Religious Affiliation: Ethnoreligion

—
%
Ethnoreligion Adherents

Dig Deeper (Language):

Primary Language: Palaka Senoufo
Language Family: Atlantic-Congo

100%
%
Sénoufo, Palaka Speakers

Media Resources in Palaka Senoufo:

Films:

No film resources are listed for this language.

Bible Resources in Palaka Senoufo:

No Bible resources are listed for this language.

Or check out the Palaka Senoufo bible at Bible.com

Linked from YouVersion

SPI: Unreached yet Engaged

The Palaka Senufo 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 Palaka Senufo:
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 Palaka Senufo of Cote d’Ivoire

Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.
readJohn 3:18

Pray for those who are living under the burden of their sin to believe in Jesus, the only Son of God, and receive freedom.

...And that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.
readLuke 24:47

Pray that the message of repentance and forgiveness through Jesus will reach everyone.

Seek the LORD and his strength; seek his presence continually!
readPsalm 105:4

Pray that as people place their faith in Christ and may feel weak in their current circumstances, they will seek the Lord's presence and persevere in the Lord's strength.

And Jesus said to them, "Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men." And immediately they left their nets and followed him.
readMark 1:17-18

Pray that God will raise up believers from this place and/or other cultures nearby to proclaim the gospel to those who desperately need to encounter it.

Senufo, Palaka Across Countries (ROP3 - 107773) reported in the following countries:

Strategic Progress Index
All

1 people group

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