Sudan
“The Lord provides safety for the oppressed; he provides safety in times of trouble.” Psalm 9:9 (NET)
Sudan is one of Africa’s largest nations, home to ancient Nubian civilizations that rivaled Egypt in power and sophistication. Centuries of Arab migration, Ottoman influence, and British colonial rule shaped its complex ethnic and religious identity. Today it faces ongoing conflict and humanitarian crisis.1
People live in Sudan, as a nation torn apart by civil war between rival military factions that has displaced millions and left entire communities without food, water, or medical care. The population is overwhelmingly Muslim, and Christians — concentrated among southern and Nuba Mountain communities — face severe persecution, including forced conversion and destruction of churches. Hundreds of people groups across dozens of languages have little to no access to the gospel.2
Recent news: In June 2026, over 160 churches were destroyed in Sudan. This comes in the midst of being named the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. Ongoing war between factions of the Sudanese military have left tens of millions displaced and 20 million more starving, while close to half a million have died. Christians are the greatest target in this warfare. Churches have been targeted, and congregations beaten and kidnapped. Also, when aid is available, Christians are reported to be the last to receive assistance.3
Unreached people groups: Sudan has a population of 51,662,000 and of that, 30,551,000 are unreached. The primary unreached people groups are the Sudanese Arab, Gaaliin, Guhayna,Arabized, Shaikia, Gawamaa, and Fezara Kawahla, among many others. Click here to learn about each.
Pray with us:
Father, you are the one that heals the brokenhearted. You are the one who provides all things, and a refuge in times of trouble. Your Church is in great need of You to manifest Your compassion in these areas. Comfort them, so that they may comfort others who do not yet know You. We ask that the turmoil and fighting in Sudan cease. Be their Peace, Lord. Let the government receive revelation from above on how to restore their country and meet the physical needs of so many people displaced, physically harmed, and hungry. Let the Church be an answer to their neighbors, ministering to them, though they also have great needs, for such is the Kingdom. Let their faith and knowledge of Your love, give them all they need to minister to others, showing them the love of Jesus, and leading them to salvation. Amen.
Tajikistan
“For God has not given us a spirit of timidity but of power and love and self-discipline.” 2 Timothy 1:7 (TLV)
Tajikistan is a mountainous Central Asian nation with deep Persian cultural roots. Once part of the ancient Silk Road and later absorbed into the Soviet Union, it gained independence in 1991. Despite high literacy, it remains one of the poorest countries in the region, with Islam deeply woven into daily life.4
People live in Tajikistan, Central Asia’s poorest nation, where many families survive on remittances sent home by men working abroad in Russia. Islam is woven into every aspect of daily life, and the government tightly controls all religious activity — registering churches, censoring materials, and monitoring believers. Evangelical Christians make up barely 0.1% of the population, and most Tajiks have never met a follower of Jesus.5
Recent news: “Tajik President Emomali Rahmon’s authoritarian government regularly commits particularly severe violations of freedom of religion or belief (FoRB), restricting nearly all aspects of religious life to mute nonstate religious influences and strengthen its control over the country. Rahmon’s government has crafted and continues to refine a particular interpretation of Hanafi Sunni Islam, often invoking the support of state-appointed religious leaders and institutions to legitimize its religious policies and FoRB violations. At times, those who deviate from the state-sanctioned version of Islam have faced detainment, fines, and prison sentences—and, in some cases, individuals have died under suspicious circumstances in state custody, showing evidence of physical abuse or medical neglect.”6
Unreached people groups: Tajikistan has a population of 10,787,000 and of that, 10,590,000 are unreached. The primary unreached people groups are the Tajik, Northern Uzbek, Shughni, Shugnan-Rushan, the Deaf, and Kyrgyz among many others. Click here to learn about each.
Pray with us:
God, the Christians of Tajikistan are in need of You to intervene in their nation’s affairs. They are heavily persecuted for their faith – fined, imprisoned, or suffering physical abuse and medical neglect, or even killed. Save Your people! The unreached people of Tajikistan need to hear their testimonies of Your miraculous deliverance from evil. Hear and heal and save and deliver the Tajik, Northern Uzbek, Shughni, Shugnan-Rushan, the Deaf, and Kyrgyz and the many others, Lord. Amen.
Tunisia
"So is my word that goes out from my mouth: it will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire." Isaiah 55:11 (NIV)
Tunisia was the heartland of ancient Carthage — the Phoenician city-state that rivaled Rome for dominance of the Mediterranean world before being destroyed in 146 BC. Under Rome, the province of Africa Proconsularis became one of the wealthiest and most sophisticated in the empire, and it was here that early Christianity produced some of its towering giants. Tertullian, who first systematized Christian theology in Latin, wrote in Carthage. Cyprian, Bishop of Carthage, died a martyr’s death. And Augustine of Hippo — whose Confessions shaped Western theology for sixteen centuries — was educated at Carthage, where he first heard the gospel that would eventually capture him. “Our heart is restless,” he wrote, “until it repose in Thee.” The Arab conquest in the 7th century swept away this ancient church with remarkable speed, and Islam took permanent root. The city of Kairouan, founded in 670 AD, became one of Islam’s holiest cities and the base for the Islamization of all of North Africa and beyond. Tunisia gained independence from France in 1956 and in 2010 triggered the Arab Spring when a fruit vendor’s act of desperate protest ignited a regional uprising. Today Tunisia’s small but growing Christian community is one of the most remarkable stories in North African missions — from virtually zero native believers in 2000 to thousands today, largely through satellite television and social media.7
People live in Tunisia today in the country that gave the world Augustine — the man who prayed, “Lord, make me chaste, but not yet,” and whose relentless pursuit ended in surrender to the God his heart could not escape. That restlessness is alive in Tunisia again. Of all the countries in North Africa, Tunisia has seen the most documented growth in indigenous Christianity in the 21st century — thousands of Tunisians coming to faith through satellite TV ministry, YouTube, and WhatsApp discipleship chains. The church is largely invisible, meeting in homes, and believers face significant family and social pressure. But after 1,300 years of silence, the Word is moving in the land of Augustine and Tertullian.8
Recent news: In response to the rapid growth of the Church, primarily conversions from Islam, the government has begun increased surveillance of church activities and on individual activities of converts, as well. There is pressure for converts to return to Islam, and social penalties if they do not do so. They may be rejected by their families, lose their possessions and inheritances, even be abandoned by their spouses. Women may face domestic violence.9
Unreached people groups: Tunisia has a population of 12,349,000 and of that, 12,290,000 are unreached. The primary unreached people groups are Tunisian Arab, Libyan Arab, Arabic-speaking Algerian, General Black African, and Syrian Arab, among others. Click here to learn about each.
Pray with us:
Lord, we rejoice at hearing the news of how the Gospel has spread throughout Tunisia. The hunger of the people and the boldness of Believers there to share their faith is encouraging. But there is still much work to be done. Hold back the persecution from those converting from Islam. Hide them, so they might be discipled and learn to stand strong in their faith in the midst of the persecution. Strengthen them with stories from the Bible and current testimonies of overcoming persecution. Make them confident in using the spiritual gifts you have given them, so Christ is seen and experienced as well as told of. Let their rising faith propel them to reach every people group in Tunisia that hasn’t yet heard, in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Sources
- https://lightthenations.org/sudan
- https://lightthenations.org/sudan ibid.
- https://cbn.com/news/world/christians-caught-crossfire-sudans-brutal-civil-war-160-churches-damaged-or-destroyed
- https://lightthenations.org/tajikistan
- https://lightthenations.org/tajikistan ibid.
- https://www.uscirf.gov/sites/default/files/2026-05/2026%20Tajikistan%20Country%20Update.pdf
- https://lightthenations.org/tunisia
- https://lightthenations.org/tunisia ibid.
- Tunisia : World Watch List – Open Doors UK & Ireland
- Country information and unreached people group information from Joshua Project.
