Hommage national : Le Sénégal célèbre Amadou Mahtar Mbow, icône au service de la dignité et du savoir
Senegal pays a vibrant tribute to one of its tutelary figures and an icon of Pan-Africanism, Amadou Mahtar Mbow, during a solemn ceremony presided over by the President of the Republic, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, on October 28, 2025.
Born on March 20, 1921 in Dakar, Mbow, a former minister and recognized worldwide as one of the greatest intellectuals of his time, devoted his life to education, culture and the sovereignty of peoples.
From Traditional Education to Pan-African Engagement
Mbow's journey begins with a traditional education in Louga, where animal tales and African values forged his humanist and ecological ethics.
After enlisting in the French army during World War II, he earned a degree in history and geography from the Sorbonne. It was in Paris that he became an early activist, co-founding the Federation of Black African Students in France (FEANF), thus intellectually preparing for future struggles for independence.
Back in Senegal, he put his knowledge at the service of the nation as an education inspector, then Minister of National Education and Culture.
The first African to head UNESCO
In 1974, Amadou Mahtar Mbow rose to international prominence by becoming the first African to head UNESCO, a position he held until 1987. Under his visionary leadership, the organization established itself as a space for balanced dialogue between cultures.
He then led historic battles, notably in favor of the restitution to countries of the South of works of art looted during colonization, and by promoting science in the service of sustainable development.
A legacy of excellence and justice
Even after his international retirement, Mbow continued to serve the nation, notably by chairing the National Conference of Senegal from 2008, tirelessly campaigning for inclusive governance and justice.
At over 100 years old, his name remains a model of rigor and a profoundly humanist vision. As Minister Moustapha Mamba Guirassy emphasized, this tribute ceremony is a powerful symbol of the nation's pride and recognition of a man whose life story has illuminated generations.
Commentaires (3)
Ce grand intellectuel mérite des hommages du Sénégal. Il a hissé très haut le drapeau national dans ses fonctions de Président de l'UNESCO. Repose en paix et qu'Allah vous entoure de ses bénédictions. Amine ya Rabi.
Qui vous a dit qu'il est mort ?
Pourquoi a t-il été un adversaire de Senghor ?
Il n'est pas mort!
En effet, il est décédé le 24 septembre 2024 à Dakar à l'âge de 103 ans. Qu’Allah l’accueil dans paradis le plus élevé.
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