Marie-Thérèse Assiga Ahanda (c. 1941 – February 1, 2014) was a Cameroonian novelist, chemist, and paramount chief of the Ewondo and Bene people. Early in life, Ahanda worked for the Chemistry Department of the University of Yaoundé. She later moved to the Republic of the Congo with her husband, Jean Baptiste Assiga Ahanda, and took to writing. When they returned to Cameroon, Ahanda became an elected delegate in the National Assembly of Cameroon, a position she held from 1983 to 1988. Ahanda became the Ewondo paramount chief in 1999. In December 2000, she began renovating her father's palace at Efoulan, Yaoundé, a project that cost an estimated 150,000,000 francs CFA. Ahanda is the daughter of Charles Atangana—paramount chief of the Ewondo and Bene peoples under the German and French colonial regimes—by his second wife, Julienne Ngonoa.
Early life and education Marie-Thérèse Assiga Ahanda (born Marie-Thérèse Atangana) was raised as a princess alongside her brother, prince René Grégoire Atangana, in Yaoundé, Cameroon. She also had one half sister, Catherine Edzimbi Atangana, and one half brother, Jean Ndengue Atangana. Both of her half-siblings were from her father's first marriage to Marie Biloa, and they were born around forty years before she was. She was the daughter of Julienne (Yuliana) Ngonoa and Charles Antangana, the paramount chief of the Ewondo and Bene people. Ahanda's father, Charles Atangana, also known as Ntsama Atangana (birth name) or Karl Atangana (German name), died only two years after her birth in 1943. Charles Atangana always kept friendly ties to both the German and French colonial administrations. His companionship with many of the German and French officials was said to have aided in his political advancement. He was also an advocate for the westernization of Yaoundé and Cameroonian culture. His rule has been both criticized and commended globally. Marie-Thérèse Assiga Ahanda explains her father's legacy in a short biography she wrote on him, but also touches on themes of colonization in Cameroon in some of the other written works, (see Works and Publications below). Most of Ahanda's schooling took place in Europe before the 1950s. As a princess, she had access to formal education which gave her opportunities to explore different disciplines. It was through her father's loyalty to the colonial administrations, and the power he received through it, that she was able to grow up with these opportunities. The Western-style education she received was highly influential to her writing as well.
Personal life In the early 1970s, she married Jean Baptiste Assiga Ahanda, a finance manager from Yaoundé who later held a prominent position at Banque des États de l'Afrique Centrale (BEAC; English: The Bank of Central African States). She then moved to Congo with him for several years before returning to Cameroon where they lived until she died in 2014. She was married to Jean Baptiste for roughly 40 years, and together they had four children and multiple grandchildren. Although they were together for a long time, their marriage was controversial to many. Jean Baptiste was of the large Etoudi clan, which was outside of her own clan. Most of this controversy surrounding their marriage was based on questions as to why they were married and if there were any political incentive or gain.
Professional life Marie-Thérèse Assiga Ahanda ventured into many disciplines after receiving her education in Europe and returning to Yaoundé. She first worked as a chemist in her early life before getting involved in politics. She worked for a few years at the University of Yaoundé in the science department for her career in chemistry.
Author After doing chemistry for a few years, Ahanda took to writing books and articles. Her main goal as an author was to make her mark in history. Some of her published works include:
Sociétés africaines et 'High Society': Petite ethnologie de l'arrivisme (1978) Je suis raciste (1982) "Turbulences" in Mots Pluriels (1999) These works were published after Cameroon's independence in 1960. The novel Sociétés africaines et 'High Society': Petite ethnologie de l'arrivisme touches on themes of westernization and colonialism. It is about a young couple, Mathilde and Vincent, who both lived abroad and received Western education. When they came back to their homeland, they were astonished by the after effects of colonial rule, such as post-colonial corruption. They later became obsessed with power and found themselves intertwined in the system. Ahanda also uses Mathilde to draw upon the theme of sexism in the novel. Mathilde, the main female character's intelligence is highly underestimated and disregarded by most of the authoritative characters. This was said to highlight societal or systematic oppression that most women face, in order to motivate her female readers to improve their situations. This novel also indicates the importance of individualism and individual rights in combating neo-colonialism. However, this individualistic perspective may come from the influence of the Westernized notion of individualism, as opposed to collectivism seen in the traditional village system. In other words, through her writing she uses colonial influences to fight neo-colonialism.
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