Celebrated Journalist, Artist Lionel Manga Dies

Lionel Manga, a celebrated Cameroonian journalist, art critic, writer, columnist, and exhibition curator, passed away on Sunday, December 15, 2024.

He died from poor health.

Reports indicate that authorities transported his remains to the Bonassama Hospital in Douala. This signalled the end of an era for one of Cameroon’s most influential cultural voices.

Lionel Manga contributed significantly to Cameroonian and African art and culture. People admired his eloquent critiques and profound reflections on the interplay of tradition, modernity, and identity in African art.

His death has left many Cameroonians who cherished his work heartbroken.

Colleagues and friends expressed this sentiment.

“Faced with a heartbreaking abyss, we are left with only one thing: to take care of ourselves, of each other, and of what remains within us of what is possible.

“Lionel, your flame, though flickering, continues to warm us. But today it burns us, for your loss is an open wound that will never stop bleeding. Infinite sadness. Condolences to his biological family,” a friend said.

The publishing house, Le Rót-Bó-Krik, with which Manga had a close relationship, mourned his loss, highlighting his literary contributions.

They quoted a line from his final book, La Sphère de Planck (2022).

“Convinced, by what he had seen and heard, that another Cameroon was entirely possible in this 21st century, provided, however, a quantum leap, it disrupts and restores itself.”

Impactful Career

Born in 1955 in Dschang, in Cameroon’s West Region, Lionel Manga studied economics at Sorbonne University in Paris.

After returning to Cameroon, he lived in Yaoundé before settling in Douala.

His career included contributions to leading publications such as Mutations and Le Messager, as well as collaborations on artistic projects like Bend Skin.

Between 1992 and 1996, he gained recognition for his ecological chronicle, Klorofil, on CRTV FM 94.

His literary works, L’Ivresse du Papillon and La Sphère de Planck remain testaments to his intellectual prowess.

Lionel Manga’s passing leaves a void in Cameroon’s cultural and literary circles.

His legacy of intellectual rigour, creative exploration, and cultural advocacy will continue to inspire generations of African artists, thinkers, and readers.

Mimi Mefo Info