Ahmadou Kourouma, Ivorian novelist dies in France

Date: 11 Dec 2003
Updated: 21 Jul 2026

Ahmadou Kourouma, Ivorian novelist dies in France

Ahmadou Kourouma was born in 1927 in CÁ´te d'Ivoire. He went to live and attend school in Mali before leaving for France. When CÁ´te d'Ivoire gained independence in 1960, he returned to his home country. Unhappy with his post- colonial new reality, Kourouma expressed his grievances through writing. His first novel, Les soleils des indépendances (The Suns of Independence, 1970) was a stern criticism of the government of an independent CÁ´te d'Ivoire. Kourouma eventually left his home country. He went on to write three more books after his debut novel, all of which did very well, especially in France. His last book Allah n'est pas oblige (Allah is not obliged) was awarded the Prix Renaudot and the Prix Goncourt des Lycéens. He died on 11 December 2003 in France.

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How we know this

01Fabre L., Focus on Ahmadou Kourouma, a Francophone writer from Ivory Coast, from IFAS [online], Available at www.ifas.org.za [Accessed: 22 October 2013]
02Britannica, Ahmadou Kourouma, from Britannica [online], Available at global.britannica.com [Accessed: 22 October 2013]

Last updated · 21 Jul 2026

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South African History Online. (2013, December 3). Ahmadou Kourouma, Ivorian novelist dies in France . South African History Online. https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0096718

South African History Online (2013) 'Ahmadou Kourouma, Ivorian novelist dies in France ', South African History Online, 3 December. Available at: https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0096718 (Accessed: 14 August 2026).

South African History Online, Ahmadou Kourouma, Ivorian novelist dies in France [website], https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0096718, (accessed 14 August 2026).

"Ahmadou Kourouma, Ivorian novelist dies in France ." South African History Online, 3 Dec. 2013, https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0096718. Accessed 14 Aug. 2026.

South African History Online. "Ahmadou Kourouma, Ivorian novelist dies in France ." South African History Online. December 3, 2013. https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0096718.