V. Y. Mudimbe, Congolese philosopher, author of the renowned essay ‘The Invention of Africa’ dies at 83
Screenshot from RFI’s YouTube channel. Fair use.
The Congolese philosopher and writer Valentin Yves Mudimbe passed away on April 22, aged 83. He leaves behind a seminal body of work contributing to the discourse on colonisation and African identities. His book “The Invention of Africa,” which he wrote in English, remains a classic that, to this day, continues to inspire new generations of researchers and readers.
Mudimbe was born in 1941 in the Belgian Congo — today’s DRC. After a brief period training for the priesthood, he shifted his focus to philosophy, which he studied in Belgium in the 1960s and 1970s. He returned to the DRC, which had gained independence in 1960, but like many other opponents of Mobuto Sese Seko’s regime, he left again in 1979. While in exile in the United States, he began a career as a university professor.
Rethinking colonialism
Mudimbe is mostly known for several landmark works in postcolonial studies that remain key references for understanding this historical and political phenomenon, whose consequences are still felt nowadays. Among his books, written either in French or directly in English, “The Invention of Africa,” published in 1988, stands out. The cover blurb states:
What is the meaning of Africa and being an African? What is and what is not African philosophy? Is philosophy part of Africanism? […] Western anthropology and missionaries have introduced distortions not only for outsiders but also for Africans trying to understand themselves. Mudimbe goes beyond the classic issues of African anthropology or history. He says that the book attempts an archeology of African gnosis as a system of knowledge in which major philosophical questions recently have arisen.
Mudimbe raises the question of how to deconstruct what he calls the “colonial library” — the body of knowledge produced during the colonial period that continues to shape discourse on African identities. This video, interspersed with an interview with Mudimbe, sums up the book’s key ideas.
Mudimbe the novelist
Mudimbe was also a novelist and was celebrated for his novels, which were published mainly in the 1970s. “Between Tides. God, a Priest, the Revolution” explores the dilemma of a priest torn between his calling and his desire for a political career. “Before the Birth of the Moon” explores power dynamics in post-independence Zaire while also addressing the issue of homosexuality. He also wrote “The Rift,” which addresses the question of African subjectivity, and later on in 1989, “Shaba Two: the Notebooks of Mother Marie-Gertrude” presents the diary of an African nun confronting the experience of war.
In this way, Mudimbe’s fiction echoes his reflections on power dynamics, the imprint of ideologies, and the possibility of individual choice in extreme situations.
Further reading: For African literary criticism: Interview with the founder of francophone African literary chronicles
Reactions
In the DRC, the death of this immense figure of Congolese and African literature leaves a great void, as Delly Sesanga Hipungu, a DRC lawyer and citizen, explains on his X account:
J’ai appris avec tristesse la disparition de Valentin Yves Mudimbe. Avec lui, la RD Congo vient de perdre un de ses dignes fils, un de ses meilleurs esprits, un géant, intellectuel brillant, vif et perspicace. Le continent en général perd une voix essentielle et critique de la pensée africaine. Son œuvre, notamment « L’odeur du père » et « L'Invention de l'Afrique », qui ont aiguisé mon sens critique dans l’approche de l’Afrique, a profondément marqué notre continent et le monde dans la compréhension du colonialisme et de la singularité de l'identité culturelle africaine. Mudimbe a su éclairer, pour des générations, les luttes et les aspirations des Africains avec une profondeur et une sensibilité inégalées. Sa sagesse et son héritage continueront d'inspirer des générations. Repose en paix, cher Mudimbe.
— Delly SESANGA HIPUNGU (@DSESANGA) April 22, 2025
It is with sadness that I learnt about the passing of Valentin Yves Mudimbe. The DRC has just lost one of its worthy sons, one of its best minds, a giant, a brilliant intellectual, sharp and insightful. The continent as a whole has lost a vital and influential voice in African thought. His works, notably ‘The Scent of the Father’ and ‘The Invention of Africa,’ both sharpened my critical thinking about Africa, had a profound impact on our continent and the world in shaping the understanding of colonialism and the unique nature of African identity. For some generations, Mudimbe knew how to shed light on Africans’ struggles and aspirations with an unparalleled depth and sensitivity. His wisdom and legacy will continue to inspire generations to come. Rest in peace, dear Mudimbe.
— Delly SESANGA HIPUNGU (@DSESANGA) April 22, 2025
Despite spending over half his life in exile, Mudimbe had an enormous impact on the evolution of literature in his own country and on the African continent. This has prompted Congolese writers to call for national recognition for the author, as well as the repatriation of his remains.
Outside the DRC, his legacy is acknowledged in Belgium and in the United States. On the website of the Catholic University of Louvain (UCL Louvain), Martin Vander Elst, a visiting lecturer at the School of Crimilology, and Aurore Vermylen, a Postdoctoral researcher at the Laboratory for Prospective Anthropology and the Centre for the Study of Crises and International Conflicts, have posted an article paying tribute to him:
L’indiscipline intellectuelle pratiquée par Mudimbe reste d’une grande actualité pour travailler les savoirs constitués par l’Occident afin de saisir comment des formes de domination se sont historiquement construites.
Mudimbe’s intellectual indiscipline remains highly relevant for rethinking the knowledge systems constructed by the West in order to understand how modes of oppression have been historically shaped.
Further on in their article, the two academics hope their university will organize an international conference in Mudimbe’s honour:
En tant qu’anthropologues de l’UCLouvain, nous serions particulièrement heureux que notre université puisse enfin organiser un grand colloque d’hommage pour continuer à partager l’héritage littéraire et philosophique de Mudimbe aux nouvelles générations qui en seront les continuatrices.
As anthropologists at UCL Louvain, we would be so pleased if our university could organise a major international conference in tribute to Mudimbe, to continue sharing his literary and philosophical legacy to the new generations who will carry his work forward.
As for the United States, they recognise his contributions to teaching in American universities, as well as the remarkable intellectual legacy he leaves behind. On its X account, the embassy wrote:
Nous rendons hommage à Valentin-Yves Mudimbe, éminent intellectuel congolais et #ExchangeAlumni du programme d'échange #Fulbright du @StateDept, dont les écrits ont profondément marqué la pensée contemporaine. Après son séjour Fulbright et de nombreuses réalisations, il a… pic.twitter.com/yyuv1nW8xm
— U.S.Embassy Kinshasa (@USEmbKinshasa) April 30, 2025
We pay tribute to Valentin Yves Mudimbe, the eminent Congolese intellectual and #ExchangeAlumni of the @StateDept’s #Fulbright’s exchange program, whose writings had a profound impact on contemporary thinking. After his Fulbright fellowship and many accomplishments, he taught at @Haverford College, at Stanford University and then at Duke University. A philosopher, writer, poet and literary critic, he leaves behind a remarkable intellectual legacy. His knowledge and contributions will forever remain engraved in our memory. We offer our sincere condolences to his family and loved ones.
— U.S.Embassy Kinshasa (@USEmbKinshasa) April 30, 2025
