It is with great sadness that we announce the untimely passing of our friend and colleague Tony Ezome, who died in an accident on October 5, 2025, in Libreville, Gabon, at the age of 45.
Tony was appointed a member of the CWM in 2019 by the IMU Executive Committee and was reappointed for a second term in 2023. Throughout these years, he served CWM with great commitment and enthusiasm, demonstrating remarkable vision and leadership, especially on issues related to Africa. We have lost a great friend and ally.
Tony's passing is a profound loss. Our thoughts and heartfelt sympathies are with his family, students, and colleagues. May he rest in peace.
Below is a text written by some of Tony’s close colleagues and friends, reflecting his vision and passion. The English version follows the French text.
Nous avons la grande tristesse de vous faire part de la disparition de Tony Ezome, décédé accidentellement le 5 octobre 2025. Il avait 45 ans. C'est un séisme pour ses proches ainsi que pour sa communauté mathématique à laquelle il a tant apporté.
Après un master puis un doctorat à Toulouse (France) en 2010, Tony est retourné au Gabon avec comme ambition d'y développer une équipe de recherche en géométrie arithmétique. Il a eu son premier poste à l'Université des Sciences et Techniques de Masuku de Franceville, puis a été nommé à l'ENS de Libreville.
Tony était très impliqué dans les projets de développement des mathématiques en Afrique, avec le soutien notamment du CIMPA, du CNRS, d'Inria, de la Fondation Simons, et de l'Union Européenne. Dans cet esprit, il avait apporté une contribution décisive à la création, à la vie scientifique et au pilotage du « Pole of Research in Mathematics in Africa » (PREMA) de 2012 à 2021, des équipes Inria Macisa puis Fast de 2012 à 2019, de l' « African Network for Arithmetic Geometry and Applications » (ANAGA) depuis 2021, et d'AFRIMath (CNRS). Il a été chercheur invité au « International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) », à Oberwolfach, à l'IHES, à l'ICMS, à l'Université de Bordeaux, à l'Université de Franche-Comté, à l'Université de Groningen, et membre du « Committee for Women in Mathematics » (CWM).
Il a donné une vingtaine de cours de master sur le continent africain au Bénin, Burkina Faso, Cameroun, Gabon, Madagascar, Sénégal, République du Congo, Rwanda. Il était l'initiateur des « Journées Algébriques du Gabon », événement récurrent qui vise à rassembler de jeunes mathématiciens confirmés d'Afrique centrale travaillant en algèbre, théorie des nombres, géométrie algébrique et théorie de l'information. Très investi dans la formation de ses étudiants, il a encadré deux étudiants en doctorat, huit étudiant-e-s en master, et encadrait actuellement deux doctorants.
C'était l'un des meilleurs et des plus dévoués scientifiques de son continent. Son extrême dynamisme, son investissement dans la formation des jeunes mathématiciens et mathématiciennes, sa passion pour les mathématiques, son enjouement, son humilité ont marqué toutes les personnes qui ont eu la chance de le rencontrer.
Sa disparition est une très grande perte pour les mathématiques en Afrique. Il était père de deux grandes filles et de trois jeunes enfants. Nous pensons avec émotion à ses proches, à ses étudiants et à ses collègues.
Cécile Armana, Jean-Marc Couveignes, Christian Maire.
We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of Tony Ezome, who died accidentally on October 5, 2025. He was 45 years old. This is a devastating loss for his loved ones and for the mathematical community to which he contributed so much.
After completing a master's degree and then a doctorate in Toulouse (France) in 2010, Tony returned to Gabon with the ambition of developing a research team in arithmetic geometry. He took up his first position at the University of Science and Technology in Masuku, Franceville, and was then appointed to the ENS in Libreville.
Tony was actively involved in projects to develop mathematics in Africa, with support from CIMPA, CNRS, Inria, the Simons Foundation, and the European Union, among others. In this spirit, he made a decisive contribution to the creation, scientific life, and leadership of the Pole of Research in Mathematics in Africa (PREMA) from 2012 to 2021, the Inria teams Macisa and then Fast from 2012 to 2019, the African Network for Arithmetic Geometry and Applications (ANAGA) since 2021, and AFRIMath (CNRS).
He has been a visiting fellow at the International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP), at Oberwolfach, at IHES, at ICMS, at the University of Bordeaux, at the University of Franche-Comté, at the University of Groningen, and a member of the Committee for Women in Mathematics (CWM).
He has given around twenty master's courses on the African continent in Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Gabon, Madagascar, Senegal, the Republic of Congo, and Rwanda. He was the instigator of the “Algebraic Days of Gabon”, a recurring event that aims to bring together young, established mathematicians from Central Africa working in algebra, number theory, algebraic geometry, and information theory. Deeply committed to the education of students, he has supervised two doctoral students and eight master's students, and was currently supervising two doctoral students.
He was one of the greatest and most dedicated scientists on his continent. His boundless energy, his commitment to training young mathematicians, his passion for mathematics, his cheerfulness, and his humility left a lasting impression on everyone who had the good fortune to meet him.
His passing is a great loss to mathematics in Africa. He was the father of two grown daughters and three young children. Our thoughts are with his loved ones, his students, and his colleagues.
Cécile Armana, Jean-Marc Couveignes, Christian Maire.