La Nouvelle Liberté is the most famous and emblematic artwork of Douala, which today has become a symbol of the city.

Produced by Joseph-Francis Sumégné in 1996, the Nouvelle Liberté is a majestic 12 meters tall sculpture made of scrap metals, erected in the middle of the busiest roundabouts of Douala, the Rond Point Deido.

This negative designation is based on the strong protests carried on by local media and native populations against La Nouvelle Liberté.

The first polemics mainly concerned the aesthetical features of the sculpture, made of recycled metallic pieces.

After the installation and donation of La Nouvelle Liberté to the Municipality of Douala, this latter has considerably invested on the urbanization of the Rond Point Deido, in particular through the eviction of informal markets surrounding the area, through the installation of street lights, new flooring works, and through the care of the garden of the roundabout.