Cheikh Hamidou Kane, an ex-minister and celebrated writer, has died. The Senegal and world of letters are in mourning. The writer and former minister Cheikh Hamidou Kane passed away, leaving behind the legacy of an exceptional career dedicated to the service of the state and the promotion of cultural heritage of the continent. The body lifting is scheduled for 16 hours this day at the Fann hospital, followed by interment at the Yoff cemetery.
Born in 1928 in Matam, Senegal, Cheikh Hamidou Kane completed a brilliant academic career between Senegal and France, earning licenses in law, literature, and philosophy at the Sorbonne before graduating from the École nationale de la France d’Outre-mer (ENFOM) in 1956. From the independence of Senegal, he held high administrative and political positions: governor of Thiès, commissioner general, and minister of the Plan, position he left during the political crisis between Leopold Sédar Senghor and Mamadou Dia.
His career rapidly expanded internationally, particularly as the regional director of UNICEF for Western and Central Africa in Lagos and Abidjan, and as vice-president of the Centre de recherches pour le développement international (CRDI) in Ottawa. Returning to his country, he took the direction of Dakar-Marine, invested in civil society with Enda Tiers-monde, and reintegrated into the government as minister of industrial development and planning, until 1988.
His literary work, published in 1961 and awarded the Grand Prize for Black African Literature, is considered a defining work, exploring with depth the search for identity and the rift between traditional spirituality and Western modernity. He would confirm his intellectual imprint with the publication of Guardians of the Temple in 1995.
Recipient of prestigious distinctions, including the Grand Prize of the Philanthropist in 2019 and the Grand Prize of the Head of State for Letters, this exceptional cultural man also named himself honored by his own lifetime at the digital university of Senegal, renamed in his honor.
The head of state, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, expressed deep emotion at the loss of the celebrated writer and former minister Cheik…
Source: Seneweb (Senegal)
