Kinshasa, February 2nd, 2026 (CPA) – Professor Théophile Obenga of the Republic of Congo (Brazzaville) celebrated his 90th birthday on Monday during a literary café organized in Lemba, a commune located in the center of Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, in recognition of his intellectual struggle and African dignity. « Today we celebrate a linguist, historian, Egyptologist and disciple of Cheikh Anta Diop, Théophile Obenga, who has dedicated his life to restoring the truth about African history, languages and civilization. (…) The work carried out by this Congolese man on the cultural unity of Africa and the relationship between African languages and ancient Egyptian has restored Africa’s historical depth and civilizational continuity, » said Paul Muabilayi, coordinator of the cultural circle “Les Portes de Sion”. Mr Obenga’s major works, such as ‘Africa in Antiquity’ and ‘The Common Origin of Ancient Egyptian and Modern African Languages’, are essential references that embody a living lesson in knowledge considered as a weapon, a memory, a battlefield, or the beginning of dignity through self-knowledge. Just two weeks ago, Professor Obenga unveiled his latest work, ‘Reconstruction of the Nilo-Atlantic,’ published by “Présence Africaine”. Much more than a scientific feat, this book is the fulfillment of a promise made to a giant of black thought: Cheikh Anta Diop. Throughout his book, Obenga rigorously and passionately explores the African roots and historical depth of the Nilo-Atlantic civilization, offering readers a valuable tool for understanding the history, culture and identity of Black Africa.
With a PhD in Humanities (Sorbonne), he has studied various disciplines: philosophy, comparative historical linguistics, prehistoric archaeology, educational sciences and Egyptology.
Théophile Obenga studied philosophy at the University of Bordeaux. He studied history at the Collège de France in Paris and learned Egyptology in Geneva.
He also trained in educational sciences in Pittsburgh.
His teachers included Émile Benveniste in historical linguistics, Jean Leclant and Charles Maystre in Egyptology, Rodolphe Kasser in Coptic, and Lionel Balout in human paleontology.
Former General Manager of the International Centre for Bantu Civilisations (CICIBA) in Libreville, he is editor of Ankh, a ‘journal of Egyptology and African civilisations’ published in Paris.