In a sun-drenched library in Douala, Cameroon, shelves brim with over eighty books chronicling African heritage, anti-colonial resistance, and political thought. They are the life’s work of Alexandre Kum’a Ndumbe III, a Cameroonian prince, historian, and emeritus professor who has emerged as one of the most articulate voices in the continent’s ongoing cultural and political reawakening.
Ndumbe III is no ordinary academic. Descended from the royal Bell lineage of Bonaberi, his intellectual trajectory has been defined by a refusal to submit to the trappings of aristocratic privilege. Instead, he has chosen to confront the deep legacies of slavery, colonisation, and neo-colonialism that, in his words, “profoundly destroyed African societies—not just economically, but also spiritually and mentally.”
At just 15, Ndumbe III embarked on a journey to Germany to further his studies, later teaching at universities in Germany, France, and Cameroon. He recalls the dissonance between the Western educational narrative and Africa’s historical significance: “How can Africa be the cradle of humanity, and yet be taught as the most backward?”
This paradox ignited his intellectual pursuit to reclaim African historical agency. His seminal 1971 publication Écrasons le Monstre (Let’s Crush the Monster) remains a compelling indictment of imperial exploitation. The titular ‘monster’ is a metaphor for colonial and neo-colonial domination—a theme that resonates powerfully in his academic and activist writings.
Through his non-governmental organisation AfricAvenir, founded in 1986, Ndumbe III has consistently advocated for an African Renaissance grounded in endogenous development, international cooperation, and the restitution of cultural heritage. His critique of European ethnographic museums is rooted in a call for justice: “These museums were created at the dawn of colonisation precisely to house the artefacts looted from Africa.”
Particularly symbolic is his campaign for the return of the Tangue, the royal prow of his grandfather Lock Priso Bell’s canoe. Looted by German imperial forces in 1884, it now resides in the National Museum of Ethnology in Munich. “There are scarcely 8,000 artefacts left in Cameroon,” he noted, “but Germany alone holds over 40,000 Cameroonian pieces. Generations have grown up never seeing their own ancestral artistic and spiritual heritage.”
His scholarly reach extends far beyond heritage issues. In 50 Years Later, When Will Your Independence Be?, he explores the failure of post-independence African states to achieve true sovereignty. He argues that the 1960s decolonisation movements were politically incomplete, and that economic and military dependencies have undermined meaningful autonomy.
Recent developments underscore his perspective. Countries like Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger have recently suspended security cooperation with France, a move interpreted by many as a step towards reclaiming agency from lingering neo-colonial ties. Ndumbe III contends that this shift reflects growing continental awareness that Africa possesses the resources and intellectual capital necessary for its own development—provided it unifies politically and economically.
His admiration for China’s development trajectory is notable. In 1971, he wrote a congratulatory letter to the Chinese people upon the restoration of the People’s Republic of China’s seat in the United Nations. “Your victory will go down in history,” he wrote, reflecting the alignment of African and Asian liberation movements at the time. He maintains that China’s model of sovereign modernisation offers important lessons—though he is clear: China must be a partner, not a surrogate coloniser.
“True partnership requires Africans to construct their own institutional frameworks,” he said. “If we remain fragmented—divided into borders created by colonial powers—we forfeit the prospect of meaningful self-determination.”
At 78, Alexandre Kum’a Ndumbe III continues to embody the spirit of intellectual resistance. His scholarship, activism, and commitment to cultural restitution remind the world that Africa’s renaissance will not be televised—it will be written, debated, and ultimately enacted by those who remember and reclaim.
