“I will be the God of Western Sahara, and they will be My people!“
My dwelling place will be with them; I will be their God, and they will be my people.(Ezekiel 37:27,NIV)
》 Country Profile
Continent | Africa
Population | 600,000
Area | 252,000㎢, Located in the northwestern part of Africa between Morocco and Mauritania.
Capital City | El Ayoun (220,000 people)
People Groups | Total 10 groups (Saharawi 43%, Arab-Berber 20%, Ligabete 13%, Moor 8%)
Unreached People Groups | 10 groups (100% of the population)
Official Language(s) | Arabic-Moroccan, Hassaniya
Total Languages | 3
Bible Translations | New Testament 2
Religion | Christian 0.03%, Muslim 99.9%
》 About Western Sahara
Western Sahara was ruled by Spain until 1975, after which it was divided between Morocco and Mauritania. A 16-year guerrilla war followed between the Polisario Front and Morocco. In 1976, the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) was declared as a socialist republic.
Between 1983 and 1985, a severe drought led to the deaths of over 2 million people across Western Sahara, Morocco, and Mauritania. In 1991, a UN-brokered ceasefire was established, but the territory’s legal status and sovereignty remain unresolved. Currently, 70% of the land is controlled by Morocco, which has built a defensive earthen wall, while 30% is governed by the Algerian-backed SADR. In 1983, Mohamed Abdelaziz was elected President of SADR as the leader of the Polisario Front. After his death in 2016, Brahim Ghali succeeded him as president. As of today, 41 countries have recognized SADR, though many have since suspended, canceled, or withdrawn diplomatic relations. Morocco, on the other hand, is recognized by most Arab League and African nations. The sovereignty of Western Sahara remains a point of international dispute, with different global actors supporting different sides. South Korea does not recognize Western Sahara as an independent state, while in 2020, the United States formally recognized Morocco’s sovereignty over the region.
Although most of Western Sahara is desert, it holds the world’s largest reserves of phosphate rock and boasts one of the richest fishing grounds globally. It is also believed to contain vast oil reserves beneath its territorial waters, along with significant coal deposits. The region supports small-scale livestock farming, with camels, goats, and sheep, and exports dried fish to the Canary Islands. However, the economy remains underdeveloped and heavily influenced by ongoing political uncertainty.
Western Sahara’s GDP per capita is approximately $2,500.
》 Scripture Focus
| Ezekiel 37:22-28(NIV) 22 I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel. There will be one king over all of them and they will never again be two nations or be divided into two kingdoms. 23 They will no longer defile themselves with their idols and vile images or with any of their offenses, for I will save them from all their sinful backsliding, and I will cleanse them. They will be my people, and I will be their God. 24 “‘My servant David will be king over them, and they will all have one shepherd. They will follow my laws and be careful to keep my decrees. 25 They will live in the land I gave to my servant Jacob, the land where your ancestors lived. They and their children and their children’s children will live there forever, and David my servant will be their prince forever. 26 I will make a covenant of peace with them; it will be an everlasting covenant. I will establish them and increase their numbers, and I will put my sanctuary among them forever. 27 My dwelling place will be with them; I will be their God, and they will be my people. 28 Then the nations will know that I the LORD make Israel holy, when my sanctuary is among them forever.’” |
》 Prayer Points
1. The conflict between Western Sahara and Morocco continues. Although UN peacekeeping forces are present, Morocco maintains strict control, enforcing its laws and suppressing opposition to retain political dominance. The region remains 100% Muslim, with little religious diversity. Despite political and economic hardships, doors for ministry are opening through relief work, refugee support, and development projects to help those in distress. As Scripture says, “They will never again be two nations or divided into two kingdoms”, let us pray that the gospel will powerfully transform this land, bringing an end to conflict and division, and raising up witnesses who live in the peace of Christ.
2. There are approximately 100,000 Western Saharan refugees living in Algerian camps, where they remain in spiritual and physical hardship. Let us pray that the gospel will reach these refugees, making them a channel of life in the spiritually barren land of Western Sahara. Let us also pray for the urgent translation of the Hassaniya Bible, so that the people may be renewed by God’s Word. Additionally, may the gospel be widely spread through broadcasting, the Internet, and social media, reaching even the most isolated communities. Let us ask God to raise up diverse channels of ministry and make His holy name known to every soul in Western Sahara. May the name of the Lord, the giver of salvation, be proclaimed to the nations, hastening the completion of the Great Commission.
3. A small underground Christian community exists in Western Sahara, growing slowly despite severe restrictions. Through long-term, restrained ministry, the gospel has spread among the Saharawi people, even in a land where faith cannot be openly expressed. Let us pray for these underground believers, that they will become a church that rejoices in God’s eternal covenant, even in isolation and hardship.
May they follow Jesus, their true Shepherd, wherever He leads, and may thirsty souls be drawn to Him through their faithful witness. Let us hold on to God’s promise that those suffering under false idols and sin will become His people. Finally, let us pray for the church in Western Sahara, that the life of Jesus Christ will take root, grow strong, and flourish among the people, bringing hope, transformation, and a lasting spiritual revival.
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