In recent years a Maninka Imam heard an audiocassette testimony of Moussa Kone, a former Muslim marabout (Folk Islamic holy man). Being the son of a marabout himself he listened attentively. He temporarily set aside his work as a carpenter and began to compare the Bible verses and the Qur'anic texts. After one month of intense studies he chose to follow Jesus.
The capital is called Yaounde and there are 10 provinces in Cameroon. Cameroon is known around the world for its numerous successes in soccer. Cameroon is also becoming known for its strong Islamic beliefs. In many ways, Cameroon is Africa in miniature. It is bilingual, in the center of Africa, diverse in climate, culture, religion and ethnicity.
Several African kingdoms were founded in the region that is now Benin. By the 1600’s, the kingdom of Dahomey, with Abomey its capital, controlled the area. Europeans began to establish slave-trading posts along the coast about this time. It has a long history of human sacrifice and is the birthplace of Voodoo.
The Kotokoli peoples of Togo have a custom of giving praises about their heroic ancestors (often the chiefs). Special praises are given by flute without singing because they think that their voices do not do justice to deserving chiefs. May the Kotokoli discover that there is a Chief in heaven that deserves their praises more than anyone else.
There are about 1.4 million people in Guinea-Bissau. Only 5 percent of the people claim to be Christian, while 50 percent are adherents of various indigenous beliefs and 45 percent are Sunni Muslim. Fighting between Senegalese-backed government troops and a military junta destroyed much of the country's infrastructure and caused widespread damage to the economy in 1998. Missionaries in the last year have had Imams asking them for Bible teachers to come to their village! Pastors in Bissau have been taking Christian leadership seminars and are now seeing open doors to preach and teach. Hundreds of people showed up for the first showing of the Jesus film in Fula.
Ghana is at a crossroads. Areas in the north of the country are strongly Muslim whereas the south of the country is predominately Christian. New, cement-built mosques are rising up among grass huts of villages. Money from countries such as Libya and Saudi Arabia are helping every village to have its own mosque. Islam originated in the north through merchants from the adjacent Western Sudan, and through immigrants from Hausaland.
The Gambia, on the west of coast of the continent, surrounded by Senegal, is the smallest country in Africa. It only has 1.5 million inhabitants, who belong to several people groups. The Mandinka, Wolof, Fula, and Jola are all traditionally Muslim. 95% of all Gambians are Muslim, yet there is religious freedom in the country.
The vast majority of the 841,000 Dioula (Jula) people of Côte d’Ivoire are Muslim. They are credited with the spread of Islam throughout the region. In the popular language of Côte d’Ivoire the terms “Dioula” and “Muslim” are interchangeable. Owing to the conflict, there are few Christian organisations working with the Dioula at this time. Many churches in northern Cote d'Ivoire have been closed, and most missionaries working in that area have left for security reasons. Come and help!
One of the world's poorest countries, Sierra Leone is looking desperately for hope, anywhere and from anyone. This small country (about the size of Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg combined) is still staggering to its feet after a decade-long civil war that brutally snuffed out more than 50,000 lives.
Nigeria is a federal republic made up of 36 states and one territory. This vast nation (the size of France, the United Kingdom and Ireland combined) is the most populous African nation, with 490 ethnic groups and a total population of at least 130 million.
