
Prince Kum'a Ndumbe III
Prince Kum'a Ndumbe III is a highly esteemed and engaged panafricanist academic, a prolific writer and the legitimate successor to the throne of Lock Priso (Kum'a Mbape), an important traditional leader of the Duala people. Much of his life has been devoted to the uplifting and rehabilitation of Africa and African culture and history. In the early 1980s, Prince Kum'a Ndumbe III launched the idea of an independent and deeply African cultural centre - AfricAvenir.
Short Biography
Born in Douala, Cameroon into a royal family, he was sent to Germany at the age of 15, where he made his “Abitur”. He then moved to France for his studies. He holds Ph.D.s in History, Politics, and German Studies from the University of Lyon, France. In his dissertation, he wrote about the plans the Nazi-Regime to colonise or dominate Africa, a topic hardly written about and the publication of which was long refused in Germany. It is the famous French philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre who, hearing about this scandal, decided to publish an abridged version of this dissertation in his magazine "Les temps modernes".
As a result of his pioneering research, he is in his personal capacity nominated to be a member of the International Committee for the History of the Second World War, next to people like Henri Michel/France, General Pavel Jiline/URSS, Ferrucio Parri/Italy, Arthur Funk/USA, A.H. Paape/Netherlands, Jean Vanwelkenhuyzen/Belgium, F.W.Deakin/GB, Takashi Saito/Japan, Avraham Alsberg/Israel, W.A.B. Dougals/Canada, R.S. Sharma/India, Wolfgang Schumann/GDR, M.Broszat/FRG, etc.
After his studies, he lectured at the University of Lyon II and the Catholic University of Lyon for several years, before moving back to Cameroon in 1979, where he held the German Studies Chair at the University of Yaoundé (1980-1987). In 1989, he habilitated at the Political Science Department of the Free University of Berlin on Post World-War II German Africa Policy and has since regularly lectured in Berlin until 2003.
Prince Kum'a Ndumbe III has covered a wide range of research topics over the years, including race ideology, colonial policies, German Africa policy, African resistance struggles, Euro-African relations, democratization, development cooperation, conflict prevention and resolution, and African Renaissance and has written extensively on each topic (see publication list).
Between 1993-1999, Prince Kum'a Ndumbe III has worked as a consultant for various German institutions on democratization and conflict prevention. Most notable is his 1997 evaluation and recommendation for conflict prevention in Rwanda (for GTZ).
Besides being an internationally experienced scholar and professor, Prince Kum'a Ndumbe III is also a poet and writer and has published over 30 non-scientific works, mostly theatre plays and short stories in Duala, German and French.
Between 1981 and 1991, Prince Kum'a Ndumbe III was President of the Cameroonian Writers' Association (APEC), Vice-President of the Central African Writers' Association (1985-1991) and since 2002 Board Member of the Association of Authors' Rights in Yaoundé. In 2003, one of his poems - an hommage to the late Pan-African scholar Cheikh Anta Diop - was put into music by the internationally successful Afropean band "Les Nubians".
On 13 December 2008 Prince Kum'a Ndumbe III was awarded the "African Trophy for Civic Leadership & Commitment" in the Category "Arts & Cultures" for his relentless dedication at the head of AfricAvenir International in favour of African cultural renewal and renaissance. The ceremony took place in Benin and was held under the patronship of President Boni Yayi. In April 2013, the A.D. King Foundation introduced Prince Kum'a Ndumbe III into the "African Diaspora World Tourism Awards - Hall of Fame Honorees" and awarded him as "Outstanding Scholar in Culture and Heritage".
Since 2003, Prince Kum'a Ndumbe III is again living and working permanently in Cameroon and devotes most of his time and energy to furthering what can be called his life-project - AfricAvenir.
Consultation Details
Since his retirement from the University of Yaoundé, Prince Kum'a Ndumbe III makes his expertise available to persons and institutions seeking his advice or contribution. Please be informed that these consultations will be excercised against payment of a consultation fee, to the full benefit of AfricAvenir! Download the Consultation Fees (in french)
To request a consultation please write an email to order(at)exchange-dialogue.com and kheops.kum(at)africavenir.org or call +237/95559844 and +237/90462927 (we speak french, english, german and duala)
40 Years of International Publishing - 40 Years of Rebellion Against Neocolonialism
On 6 July 2011, Prince Kum’a Ndumbe III celebrated his 40 years of international publishing since his first publication, the short story “Le monster” which was published by Jeune Afrique on 6 July 1971. Up until today with his most recent books like "50 Ans déjà ! Quand cessera enfin votre indépendance-là ???" or "Africa is Calling - African-Americans Stand Up for Africa", he has not failed in fulfilling the mission he had set for himself at the early age of 24: Contribute to the decolonisation of the production and dissemination of knowledge about Africa, both in African and in European countries. Already in 1962 in St. Galles in Switzerland, during his first visit to Europe, he writes his first book: a compilation of poems in Duala language. Paradoxically, it is the German language that imposes itself on him while studying in Lyon, France, where he writes his first four theater plays in the language of Goethe and Schiller. But already then, even his writings in German are deeply African in the sense that he consciously claims the re-writing of the falsified historiography and the rehabilitation of Africa’s dignity. And these writings are disturbing to German editors in the 1970s. An African writing in German? “Lumumba II.” and “Ach Kamerun” will not be published in Germany until 2005.
His French writings are not less provoking: “Cannibalisme” and “Kafra-Biatanga” are followed by “Nouvelles interdites”, “Hitler voulais l’Afrique” and “Dialogue en noir et blanc” (with Jean-Yves Loude). But his books are distributed and read only in Europe and the US, but nowhere to be found in Cameroon! Since 1979, Prince Kum’a Ndumbe III has never again sent a manuscript to a French editor.
As President of the Cameroonian Writers’ Association (APEC), Prince Kum’a Ndumbe III dares asking President Ahidjo to lift the fierce censorship laws on books. Not waiting long for the authorities to respond, he creates a publishing house in 1985: Editions AfricAvenir. His book “L’Afrique relève le défi” sells 5.000 copies. He becomes an editor without meaning to. The aim is clear: Publish without censorship and give direct access to local population to what Cameroonian and African writers have to say. Speak out without having to go through a European or US editor and provoke debates directly and on the spot.
In 1993, AfricAvenir is turned into a foundation with the aim of sustaining these efforts. In 2003, Prince Kum’a Ndumbe III creates Exchange & Dialogue, a German publishing house with the aim of telling Germans, as well as Austrians and Swiss, what their own institutions do not want them to know about Africa – and this in German, without translation. Even today, his 13 German books still seem to disturb, but they are bought and read.
In 2009, another big step is taken with the publication in Duala, French and Ewondo of the epic Cameroonian tale “Masomandala”. Publishing in African languages remains the challenge of the future – the near future!
Looking back, it has been 40 years of continuous rebellion against the dominant neocolonial order and for the upliftment and renaissance of the African continent and its peoples.
Publication List 2014 - 2000 (- 1971)
2014
- Déclaration Solennelle du Prince Kum'a Ndumbe III sur le Tangué de Kum’a Mbape Bell (Lock Priso), dérobé dans son palais à Hickory Town (Bonabéri) le 22 décembre 1884 et mis en otage au Völkerkunde Museum (Musée Ethnographique) de Munich/Allemagne.
- “Voeux des Camerounais” et "Traité du 12 juillet 1884", deuxième extrait inédit du prochain ouvrage du prince Kum’a Ndumbe III, paru dans LE MESSAGER nr 4132 du 01 août 2014.
- Déclaration solennelle du Prince Kum’a Ndumbe III sur les débuts de la résistance des peuples camerounais à l’occupation coloniale, 1er aout 2014
- "Les héros de la résistance contre l’esclavage", Discours d'ouverture de l'exposition, Yaoundé, 22 mai 2014
- Le contexte historique dans lequel arrive l’évangélisation à Cameroons Town (Douala), 8 janvier 2014
2013
- Africa is Calling – African Americans Stand Up For Africa, Editions AfricAvenir/Exchange & Dialogue, Douala/Berlin/Vienne, 2013
2012
- L’Afrique s’annonce au rendez-vous, la tête haute ! Discours sur la transmission du savoir, la libération totale et le développement durable des Africains, de la diaspora noire et de leur continent – Postface du Pasteur Simon Bolivar Njami Nwandi , 3è édition revue et augmentée, Editions AfricAvenir/Exchange & Dialogue, Douala/Berlin/Vienne, 2012
- Afrika ist im Aufbruch, Afrika ist die Zukunft !, in: Thomas Schreijäck (Hg), Afrika im Aufbruch!? – Analysen und Impulse in interdisziplinärer und interkultureller Pespektive, Matthias Grünewald Verlag, Ostfildern, 2012, S. 145-158
2011
- Appel à l’intelligentsia européenne et nord-américaine pendant l’agression concertée de leurs gouvernements contre les peuples africains en 2011 (traduit en koréen), in : The Korean Association of Political Criticism, Journal of Political Criticism, Vol. 9, 2011/11, 1-26
- Notre héritage, notre futur : préserver, promouvoir, protéger, d’une perspective francophone : l’expérience de la fondation AfricAvenir International au Cameroun www.africavenir.org; www.exchange-dialogue.com
- Our Heritage, Our Future: Preserve, Promote, Protect from a Francophone Perspective – The AfricAvenir International Foundation in Cameroon www.africavenir.org; www.exchange-dialogue.com
- Nouvelles Interdites, 2è édition, AfricAvenir/Exchange & Dialogue, Douala /Berlin/Vienne, 2011
- Appel à l’intelligentsia européenne et nord-américaine pendant l’agression concertée de leurs gouvernements contre les peuples africains en 2011, www.africavenir.org
- Vous avez dit Démocratie? Le processus de démocratisation au Cameroun – Défis et perspectives (Sous la Direction de Kum’a Ndumbe III), 2ème édition
- 50 ans déjà! Quand cessera enfin votre indépendance-là???, AfricAvenir/Exchange & Dialogue
- L’Afrique bouge et tire la sonnette d’alarme, in: Pambazuka 2011-05-02, Numéro 187
2010
- Die Unabhängigkeit vor 50 Jahren! Die Unabhängigkeit seit 50 Jahren?, dans: AfricAvenir International (Hg.): 50 Jahre afrikanische (Un)Abhängigkeiten. Eine (selbst-)kritische Bilanz, Editions AfricAvenir/Exchange and Dialogue 2010, p. 20-34
- 125 Jahre kamerunischer Widerstand gegen den Kolonialismus – 22. Dezember 1884 – 22. Dezember 2009, dans: AfricAvenir International (Hg.): 50 Jahre afrikanische (Un)Abhängigkeiten. Eine (selbst-)kritische Bilanz, Editions AfricAvenir/Exchange and Dialogue 2010, p. 136-142
- An Dich, Cheikh, den Unsterblichen, dans: AfricAvenir International (Hg.): 50 Jahre afrikanische (Un)Abhängigkeiten. Eine (selbst-)kritische Bilanz, Editions AfricAvenir/Exchange and Dialogue 2010, p. 146-154
2009
- Changement de cap – La chute du mur de Berlin et son impact au Kamerun, 12 .11.2009. Download als pdf
- Afrika in der NS-Planung eines Grossgermanischen Reiches, 2.09.2009. Download als pdf
- La Deuxième Guerre Mondiale, la création d’un nouvel ordre international et l’échec durable des indépendances africaines, 1.09.2009. Download als pdf
- Brief aus Douala, in : Le Monde Diplomatique, Deutsche Ausgabe, Berlin, Dezember 2009, S. 2. Le Monde Diplomatique
- Was uns die Chinesen zeigen, Einleitung zum Kapitel 5, Kompliziertes Afrika, in: Atlas der Globalisierung, Sehen und Verstehen, was die Welt bewegt, Le Monde Diplomatique, Deutsche Ausgabe, Berlin, 2009.
- J’ai vingt quatre ans – Testament d’un jeune africain, Editions AfricAvenir/Exchange & Dialogue, Douala, Berlin, Vienne, 2009
- Carnaval, Place de la Nation, roman, Editions AfricAvenir/Exchange & Dialogue, Douala, Berlin, Vienne, 2009
- Anthologie von 11 deutschsprachigen Büchern / Anthologie de 11 livres en langue allemande, Editions AfricAvenir/Exchange & Dialogue, Douala, Berlin, Vienne, 2009
2008
- MASOMANDALA – Jeki la Njamb’a Inono, version originale de 1890-1911, Epopée duala, édition trilingue en duala, français et ewondo – Illustrations de Christian Kingue Epanya, tome I et II, Editions AfricAvenir/Exchange & Dialogue, Douala, Berlin, Vienne, 2008
- Das Deutsche Kaiserreich in Kamerun – Wie Deutschland in Kamerun seine Kolonialmacht aufbauen konnte 1840-1910 (Le Reich allemand au Kamerun- comment l’Allemagne a réussi à installer son empire colonial au Kamerun 1840-1910)
- Vous avez dit Démocratie? Le processus de démocratisation au Kamerun – Défis et perspectives (Sous la Direction de Kum’a Ndumbe III )
2007
- L’Afrique s’annonce au rendez-vous, la tête haute ! Discours sur la transmission du savoir, la libération totale et le développement durable des Africains, de la diaspora noire et de leur continent – Contribution à la marche de l’humanité moderne. Postface du Pasteur Simon Bolivar Njami-Nwandi, Editions AfricAvenir/Exchange & Dialogue
- Stratégies de survie des populations africaines dans une économie mondialisée – l’expérience Kamerunaise, (Sous la Direction de Kum’a Ndumbe III) Ed. AfricAvenir/Exchange & Dialogue
- Conscientisation des citoyens dans l’apprentissage des langues africaines : méthode d’approche et expérience de la fondation AfricAvenir au Kamerun, in : Alphabétisation et diversité linguistique dans une perspective globale – Echange interculturel avec des pays africains (Edité par Neville Alexander et Brigitta Busch)/ Centre européen des langues vivantes, Editions du conseil de l’Europe
- Das Fest der Liebe, die Chance de Jugend (La fête de l’amour, la chance de la jeunesse, pièce de théâtre), Editions AfricAvenir/Exchange & Dialogue
2006
- Krisenprävention. Ein möglicher Weg aus Krieg und Genozid. Alternativen für die Entwicklungszusammenarbeit (Prévention des conflits: une issue possible pour sortir des guerres et du génocide – Alternatives pour la coopération au développement) Exchange & Dialogue, Berlin 2006 (sorite octobre 2006)
- Nationalsozialismus und Apartheid, Rassenideologie und Geldgeschäfte in den Nord-Süd Beziehungen, 1933-1973 (Nationalsocialisme et Apartheid, Idéologie raciale et affaires financières dans les relations nord-sud, 1933-1973), Exchange & Dialogue, Berlin, 2006 (sortie octobre 2006)
- Wettkampf um die Globalisierung Afrikas (Compétion pour la mondialisation de l’Afrique), Exchange & Dialogue, Berlin 2006
- Afrika ist im Aufbruch, Afrika ist die Zukunft (L’afrique est en mache, l’Avenir, c’est l’Afrique), Exchange & Dialogue, Berlin 2006
- Lumumba II (pièce de théâtre sur les indépendances africaines et les mécanismes de la corruption), Exchange & Dialogue, 2006
- Kafra-Biatanga, Tragödie Afrikas (Kafra-Biatanga, tragédie de l’Afrique : pièce de théâtre sur les mécanismes de conflits armés en Afrique, Biafra, Katanga), Exchange & Dialogue, 2006
2005
- Ich klopfte an deiner Tür, Zeitzeugnisse in Briefen, Gedichten und Erzählungen (J’ai frappé à ta porte – Témoignages en lettres, poèmes et nouvelles)
- Ach, Kamerun ! Unsere alte deutsche Kolonie… (Le Kamerun, ah oui ! notre ancienne colonie…, pièce de théâtre sur la colonisation allemande au Kamerun et la résistance des Kamerunais sous Kum’a Mbape et Rudolf Duala Manga Bell)
2004
- Vorwort zu Recherche International, “Unsere Opfer zählen nicht“ - Die Dritte Welt im Zweiten Weltkrieg, Assoziation A, im Erscheinen, ISBN 3-935936-26-5.
- Sprache, Sprachlosigkeit und wirtschaftliche Entwicklungsfähigkeit. Vortrag am Donnerstag, 11. November 2004, um 19.30 Uhr in den Weißen Saal der Grazer Burg, Garz, Österreich.
- Afrika in der NS-Planung eines Großgermanischen Reiches, in: Peter Martin und Christine Alonzo (Hrsg.), Zwischen Charleston und Stechschritt - Schwarze im Nationalsozialismus, Dölling und Galitz Verlag.
- Hommage à Duala Manga Bell et Ngoso Din, Douala. In: Le Messager, 20. août 2004.
- 12 juillet 1884-12 juillet 2004: Il y a 120 ans, le sort de tout le Cameroun basculait de manière durable sous la domination étrangère. In: AfricAvenir
- Faut-il abolir le français et l’anglais comme langues primaires et principales d’enseignement dans nos écoles au Cameroun? In: AfricAvenir
- Je n’ai pas abdiqué, Je n’ai pas renoncé au trône des Bele Bele. In: AfricAvenir
2002/2003
- AfricAvenir: An Organisation presents itself. In: AfricAvenir Dialog Forum, Vol. 01, Nr. 01, 2002.
- The Global Approach in African Studies, Training and Research on African Politics. In: AfricAvenir Dialog Forum, Vol. 01, Nr. 01, 2002.
- A Training Program for Development Experts, Master’s Degree and Research in “African Renaissance, Development Cooperation, Conflict Prevention and Conflict Resolution”. In: AfricAvenir Dialog Forum, Vol. 01, Nr. 01, 2002.
- Entwicklungstheorien über den Süden ohne den Süden. In: Werner Rossade, Birgit Sauer, Dietmar Schirmer (Hrsg.), Politik und Bedeutung – Studien zu den kulturellen Grundlagen politischen Handelns und politischer Institutionen – Ralf Rytlewski zum 65. Geburtstag, Wiesbaden 2002.
- La mise en application du Nouveau Partenariat pour le Développement de l’Afrique (NEPAD) - Quels défis pour les politiques nationales et pour la coopération internationale? NEPAD Conference, 24-25 octobre 2002, Institut Goethe de Yaoundé.
- Geschichte, Geschichtsbewusstsein und Unterentwicklung, Fallbeispiel Afrika. Paper presented at History Teaching in a Global Perspective, Case Studies of African Countries, Council of Europe’s In-Service training Programm for Educational Staff, Stadtschlaining/Austria, 26.-29.11.2002
2001
- Rassismus und Globalisierung. In: Eine Welt Presse, Nr. 1/18. Jg., 2001.
Human Rights and Democratisation – Learning from Europe?, in: DANIDA, Conflict Prevention and Peace Building in Africa, Discussion Paper, Maputo, 28-29 June 2001. - Die spirituelle Dimension der Krisenprävention und der Konfliktlösungsmechanismen in den afrikanischen Gesellschaften. Paper presented at the week-end seminar on traditional conflict prevention mechanisms in African countries, University of Oslo, Unit for comparative and international education, Institute for Educational Research, Helga Eng.’s House, Blinder, 23.02.2001
- Afrika: kein Ausweg aus der Armutsfalle? Reparationen, Schuldenerlass, fairer Handel oder was sonst? Osnabrücker Friedensgespräche 2001, Podiumsveranstaltung mit Dr. Lawford Imunde (Ev. Akademie Loccum), Prof. Dr. Cord Jakobeit (Universität Hamburg) und Dr. Elísio Macamo (Universität Bayreuth), 19. Juni 2001, 19 Uhr, Universität, Juridicum.
Download the full Publication List (2013 - 1971)
Links to Online Articles
Ndumbe12juillet1884.pdfProf. Kum'a Ndumbe III.: Il y a 120 ans, le sort de tout le Cameroun basculait de manière durable sous la domination étrangère
NdumbeAfrikaKonzept.pdfPrince Kum'a Ndumbe III.: Afrika als Konzept der Afrikaner (Tagesspiegel)
NdumbeAfrikanerLehrender.pdfPrince Kum'a Ndumbe III.: "Der Afrikaner muss der Lehrende sein", Wien 2000
NdumbeAfrikanischeRenaissance.pdfProf. Kum'a Ndumbe III.: "Afrikanische Renaissance - Wegweiser afrikanischer Politik im 21. Jahrhundert", Graz, 1999
NdumbeAfrikaRiesenbauplatz.pdfPrince Kum'a Ndumbe III.: Afrika ist ein Riesenbauplatz. In: Der Spiegel 22/ 1993.
NdumbeAppelEtudiants.pdfPrince Kum'a Ndumbe III: Appel à mes anciens étudiants et à mes amis, 2002
NdumbeBriefDeutscheFreunde.pdfPrince Kum'a Ndumbe III.: Brief an meine deutschen Freunde, 1999
NdumbeBriefKabila.pdfPrince Kum'a Ndumbe III: Au frère Président Laurent Désirée Kabila à la veille de la prise de Kinshasa, 20 avril 1997
NdumbeBriefMandela.pdfPrince Kum'a Ndumbe III.: Du kannst nun gehen, Nelson Mandela, denn du bleibst mit uns! Ein Brief an den scheidenden Staatspräsidenten von Südafrika
NdumbeBriefSaroWiwa.pdfPrince Kum'a Ndumbe III.: In Memoriam an Ken Saro-Wiwa, Berlin, November 1995
NdumbeBriefStudenten.pdfPrince Kum'a Ndumbe III.: An Studenten und Professoren des Otto-Suhr-Instituts für Politikwissenschaft der Freien Universität Berlin, September 2001
NdumbeConflictPreventionRwanda.pdfPrince Kum'a Ndumbe III: Cooperation in Conflict Prevention in Rwanda: Which Steps after the War? D+C No. 3, May-June 1998: pages 24-26
NdumbeCurativeDevelopment.pdfPrince Kum'a Ndumbe III: A Globalising World - Roles for Volunteers? 4th UN Volunteers Intergovernmental Meeting, Bonn, 1997
NdumbeEconomieCamerounaise.pdfPrince Kum'a Ndumbe III: La mondialisation de l’économie camerounaise : ses origines et ses conséquences durables, 5-15 septembre 2005
NdumbeEntwicklungseffizienz.pdfPrince Kum'a Ndumbe III.: Zur Entwicklungseffizienz der Entwicklungspolitik und Entwicklungszusammenarbeit in Afrika, Werkstatt 3, Hamburg, 2000
NdumbeEUErweiterung.pdfPrince Kum'a Ndumbe III.: Die Erweiterung der EU - Bedrohung oder Chance für die Entwicklungszusammenarbeit mitd en Ländern des Südens? Trialog, Wien
NdumbeExtraversion.pdfPrince Kum'a Ndumbe III: Comment par les institutions européennes l’extraversion et la domination durables ont été instaurées chez nous, juin 2004
NdumbeFrauMugabushele.pdfPrince Kum'a Ndumbe III.: Frau Mugabushele und der alte Belaganzi (Auszug), Erzählung
NdumbeGeschichtsbewusstseinUnterentwicklung.pdfPrince Kum'a Ndumbe III.: Geschichte, Geschichtsbewusstsein und Unterentwicklung - Fallbeispiel Afrika, Stadtschlaining, 2002
NdumbeHumanRightsDemocratisation.pdfPrince Kum'a Ndumbe III: Human Rights and Democratisation - Learning from Europe?
NdumbeHommageMangaBelltxt.pdfPrince Kum'a Ndumbe III: Hommage à Duala Manga Bell, à Ngoso Din et aux vaillants patriotes, Douala, 2004