Bate Besong in the Encyclopedia of African Literature

Simon Gikandi (ed). Encyclopedia of African Literature. New York, Routledge, 2003. Page 61.

Bate Besong b 1954,
Cameroon
Poet

A PhD in English and literary studies from the University of Calabar (Nigeria), the Cameroonian writer Bate Besong is primarily known as a poet. He has published several collections of poetry, including Polyphemus Detainee and Other Skulls (1980), The Banquet (1994), The Grain of Bobe Ngom Jua (1985), and Just Above Cameroon (1988).

He has also published important plays including The Most Cruel Death of the Talkative Zombie (1987), and Beats of No Nation (1990).

Concerned with the state of culture and society in postcolonial Africa in general and Cameroon in particular (see colonialism, neocolonialism, and postcolonialism), Besong's works focus on specific social problems of the period after independence, such as injustice, corruption, social, political, and economic instability, as well as the sharp inequalities palguing Africa and the resulting human suffering. His words appear to be a platform geared toward the denunciaton of oppression inflicted by one group on another and the resulting tentions, including violence, and lack of social, economic, and political satability; In addition to teaching drama at the University of Buea in Cameroon, Besong, is also an important critic whose essays have appeared in various international professional journals.

Comments

[Ngwa Tagang Ebogo Titus]

BATE BESONG- A FALLEN HERO

The venerated award-winning poet, playright and internationally aclaimed firebrand social critic and lecturer at the University of Buea (UB) Dr Bate Besong (BB) is no more, clapped by the cold hands of death on March 8th, 2007 (Women's Day) in a ghastly car accident on the infamous Douala - Yaounde highway, less than 24 hours after the launching of his latest book Disgrace.
Also dead in the accident are Dr. Hilarious Ambe (Lecturer and Director, UB Theatre) and Dr Kwasen Gwangwa’a (Actor, Film Director, CRTV Producer and UYI Lecturer). What a loss to the entire Cameroonian University Community.

From Left to right: Bate Besong, Hilarious Ambe and Kwansen Gwangwa

BB will be remembered for feeding the hungry minds of over 50.000 readers and beyond with his wealth of knowledge in his entire life being. This is but a well-expressed indication that he constituted a rich fountain of knowledge to the Cameroon populace and a legendary literary juggernaut in the African continent that will never go dry even in his departure.
If the Cameroon people fail to applaud his efforts, posterity will not fail to crown him with an eternal glory through immortalization. BB was to the Cameroonian people, what Martin Luther was, to the Americans. BB was indeed, a veritable hero.
I have never been a literature student before but I have always had a srong admiration for BB. His assertiveness, strong desire to cleanse our society of its misdeeds through his satirical literary pieces, his integrity, his humility and sense of purpose are qualities that are hard to find in a single human being. I am heavily aggrieved by his death especially at this moment when Cameroon is in dire need of intellectuals like him and the others who were involved in the ghastly accident. May his soul rest in perfect peace and may we all learn to leave clean footprints while we live so that we may all be remembered by them when we are no more and be used as paradigms to others even as we use them.

THE RIGHT TO GROW AND LEAD IS OURS
THE RIGHT TO DEVELOP AND PROSPER IS OURS
THE RIGHT TO TEACH AND ENCOURAGE OTHERS IS ALSO OURS
BUT THE RIGHT TO LIFE AND DEATH IS GOD'S

"I DOVE MY HEART IN A SPECIAL WAY TO HONOUR YOUR PAINFUL DEPARTURE".

Ngwa Tagang Ebogo Titus
Canfield, OHIO
www.ebogo.4t.com
BB's ardent audience

[disturbing the peace]

when will cameroonian learn. There is a program to eliminate all our intellectuals. The way we are oppressed and re-colonized today is to control what we know -- the control of knowledge. And our intellectuals are the target. Just as you have "genocide" (killing of a race, so to you have "intellectualcide" (killing of inttellectuals -- the educated, who are the light in our country). slowly but sure. Many means will be use to do that. Planned car accidents is just one of them.
BB and his colleagues were assassinated.
The top police officers in our country are involve.
My question is, WHAT IS THE WHITEMAN DOING IN OUR CAMEROON AND AFRICA IN GENERAL???? WHAT DO THEY COME TO OUR COUNTRIES TO DO?

You have to act now, or it will to late. Act now, or more intellectuals will follow suit!!!!!!!

[disturbing the peace]

Did you know that a car accident car be planned, and planned successfully? Did you know that theives can be bought to carry out killings, so that when the killing is done, people will say "thieves did it." Did you know that there is white people mafia operating in Cameroon? Did you know that Cameroon is colonized today by the mafia from the West? Have you taught about this? A mafia is not someone that you can recognized just by looking at him. IT IS TIME YOU REDEFINE YOU ATTITUDE TORWARDS THE WHITE PEOPLE YOU SEE IN CAMEROON. many africans still carry this colonial mentality that white people are very good people. and the white knows this. so they can do anything to you because they know that you will never suspect them. it is this mentality that is destroying us.
More of our educated people will die if you do not act now. redifine your attitude torwards the wicked whitemen/women who come to you beautiful country to carry out atrocities.

Are there no political/social analysts in Cameroon to analys what has been taking place in Cameroonian society, Buea tragedies in particular.
My brothers and sister, I ask you one question: WHAT IS THE EVIL WHITE MAN DOING IN OUR COUNTRIES? THIS PEOPLE HAVE A PLAN TOGETHER WITH THEIR 'YES' MEN IN HIGH OFFICES IN YAOUNDE.
WHAT ARE WHITE PEOPLE DOING IN OUR COUNTRY? THE CHAOS AND ANARCHY IS BEING CAUSED BY THIS WHITE PEOPLE. THEY ARE KILLING OUR INTELLECTUALS. THEY ARE RAPING OUR TEENAGE GIRLS AND BOYS. THEY ARE CORRUPTING OUR POOR STREET CHILDREN AND CRIMINAL GANGS TO KILL OUR EDUCATED PEOPLE.
BUEA UNIVERSITY STUDENTS AND ORDINARY CAMEROONIANS YOU HAVE TO ACT NOW OR MORE PEOPLE WILL DIE. YOU HAVE REDEFINE YOU ATTITUDE AND LIKING TOWARDS WHITE PEOPLE IN CAMEROON, AND AT LARGE, IF THERE WILL BE HOPE. WHITE PEOPLE ARE MURDERES AND THIEVES.
ACT NOW!!!!!!!!!!