Cheikh Hamidou Kane dies aged 98

Cheikh Hamidou Kane, the Senegalese author best known for the novel “L'Aventure ambiguë” (“Ambiguous Adventure”), has died aged 98, Senegal's President Bassirou Diomaye Faye said.

Faye said Kane's works now belonged to the heritage of Senegal and Africa. Senegalese media reported that Kane died on Saturday.

Kane's 1961 semi-autobiographical novel follows a young Senegalese Muslim torn between tradition and Western education. The book was translated into 40 languages and became a classic of African literature taught in schools and universities.

Kane was born on April 2, 1928, in Matam, northeastern Senegal. He studied law and philosophy in Paris and later held several public posts, including serving as a government minister in the 1980s.