Remembering Valentin-Yves Mudimbe, Architect of Decolonial Thought

Valentin-Yves Mudimbe, the Congolese philosopher, linguist, and literary theorist, passed away on April 21, 2025, at age 83 in the U.S. A pioneer of African critical theory, Mudimbe profoundly influenced postcolonial studies with his landmark 1988 book, The Invention of Africa. He challenged the “colonial library” of imposed categories and called for knowledge systems grounded in Africa’s own epistemologies. Exiled from Mobutu’s Zaire in 1979, he spent decades teaching at Stanford and Duke while remaining deeply tied to Africa’s intellectual future. Through rigorous critique and bold reconstruction, Mudimbe leaves a legacy that continues to shape global conversations on decolonising knowledge.

The Conversation