Les revues scientifiques internationales au Cameroun et La valorisation des cultures Africaines : les cas ABBIA – OZILA – AFRICA ZAMANI (1963-2001)

Abstract

This study deals with scientific international reviews in Cameroon and the promotion of African cultures : The case Abbia – Ozila – Afrika Zamani (1963-2001); that is, the role the first reviews played in promoting Black African cultures. It aims to show how the pioneering tools created after the reunification of Cameroon in 1961 contributed to the popularisation of African cultures. After the 60s, indeed, Africans who still suffered prejudice from some Westerners, had decided to get more involved in the fight for their cultural identity renaissance through the establishment of cultural reviews such as Abbia, Ozila and Afrika Zamani. They intended to develop cultural research and especially enhance the value of African civilizations, while promoting the cultural dialogue between peoples and further strengthening unity. In fact, Abbia was initially a bilingual cultural review based on the popularization of civilizations and cultural exchanges between Cameroonians. It had subsequently given the opportunity to other Africans to publish their works in order to value the African culture in general and therefore, became an international review. Ozila was the international forum through which literary scholars decided to develop research by promoting Cameroonian cultures through literature. On the other hand, Afrika Zamani was created by African historians in order to promote the African civilization and thus contribute to its cultural renaissance on the world scene through a specific field called History. Beyond the difficulties encountered by leaders, these cultural tools enabled African scholars to illustrate or assert their cultural identity on the world scene, to contribute to the development of scientific research and also played a fundamental role in cultural exchanges. However, leaders faced many problems which caused the end of Ozila in 1971, Abbia in 1982 and Afrika Zamani in 2001.