Chinua Achebe gave Africa its Confidence - Emeka Anyaoku

It was a fitting tribute to the respect Achebe carried among the people here and for many others around the world who knew him through his books, which many say is the first African voice heard in modern literature.

"Chinua Achebe gave Africa its confidence," said Emeka Anyaoku, an Igbo elder.

"Things Fall Apart" has sold more than 8 million copies worldwide and has been translated into more than 50 languages. Though describing himself in writing as a "British-protected child," Achebe became a forceful critic of Western literature about Africa, especially Joseph Conrad's "Heart of Darkness." His writings often focused on that split between cultures, serving at times as a bridge for those wanting to understand the those two worlds.