One of the pioneers of African film-making - Senegalese writer Sembene Ousmane - has died after a long illness at the age of 84.

Ousmane is credited with making the first feature film by a director from sub-Saharan Africa, 'The black girl from....' in 1966.

His latest work, Moolaade, won awards at the Cannes and Ouagadougou festivals and he has won two prizes at Venice.

He was born in the Casamance region of Senegal and went to an Islamic school.

Later he fought for the Free French forces in World War II.

Before the publication of his first novel, The Black Docker, in 1956, he worked in a car plant in Paris and was a trade union activist.

He made a total of 10 films during his career.

Much of his work focused on the effects of colonialism and religion, as well as the rise of the African middle class.

He was also a co-founder of the biennial Pan-African festival of film and television of Ouagadougou (Fespaco).