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Democratic Republic of Congo

République Démocratique du Congo (Congo - Kinshasa)

Last modified: 2016-05-16 by bruce berry
Keywords: congo | kinshasa | zaire |
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image by António Martins-Tuválkin, 21 Apr 2016     See also:

Description of the flag

President Joseph Kabila of the Democratic Republic of Congo promulgated a new Congolese post-war constitution on 18 February 2006  which makes provision of a new flag and emblem. During a ceremony at the presidential palace in Kinshasa, February 18, 2006, the Democratic Republic of Congo adopted a new constitution aimed at bringing an end to decades of dictatorship, war and chaos in the vast country, and paving the way for elections by mid-2006. Further links are given at:
http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/060218/ids_photos_wl/r2427480279.jpg

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/060218/ids_photos_wl/r2586210504.jpg
http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/060218/481/cod10202181822
Manuel Gabino Villascán, 18 Feb 2006

I just heard on the news that the Democratic Republic of Congo has a new constitution. The "new" flag that was raised is the same design as that used between 1963-1971. Only the blue I believe is lighter in colour.
Johan Ockerman, 19 Feb 2006

The symbolism of former flag during 1966-1971 was as follows :

Red for people's blood
Yellow for prosperity
Blue for hope
Star for unity
Nozomi Kariyasu, 19 Feb 2006

Details of the new symbols of the Democratic Republic of Congo (flag and coat of arms) are given here.  Symbols adopted on 18 February, 2006.
Jens Pattke
, 20 Feb 2006

According to a press report here, 'The blue in the flag symbolises peace; red the blood of the country's martyrs; yellow the country's wealth; and the star a radiant future for the country.'
Devereaux Cannon, 20 Feb 2006

I just received from Mr. Roger Baert, Secrétaire de la Societas Vexillologica Belgica, information containing some constitutional texts and images showing the first hoisting of the new Congolese flag. The flag appears with a diagonal stripe from hoist-bottom to fly-top like Brunei, not like Namibia or Tanzania.

In my opinion, this material confirms the information sent already.
Jarig Bakker, 20 Feb 2006

Article 1 of the new constitution describes the flag as follows:

"Son embleme est le drapeau bleu ciel, orne d’une etoile jaune dans  le coin superieur gauche et traverse en biais d’une bande rouge finement encadree de jaune".

I believe the article was not changed compared to the Constitutional proposal I sent a few months ago which states:
"Its emblem is the sky blue flag, adorned with a yellow star in the upper left corner and cut diagonally by a red stripe with a thin yellow frame."

From this description, it is not possible to say on which diagonal of the flag the red stripe is placed; neither is explicitly stated the location of the star regarding the red stripe.
Ivan Sache, 20 Feb 2006

According to the review of the press made by Charles Gba for the MONUC (Mission of the United Nations in Congo) on 20 February 2006, the local newspaper "Le Palmarès" reported that the national flag of Democratic Congo was changed, as well as the colours of the FARDC (Forces Armées  de la République Démocratique du Congo - the Army) and of the National Police.
Ivan Sache, 21 Feb 2006

After its official adoption, the new flag of the Democratic Republic of Congo was presented to the population in the provinces.  Radio Okapi (4 March 2004) reported the ceremony that took place in Bunia on Saturday, 04 March in the morning. The flag was officially hoisted by Lola Kisanga, the Governor of the Eastern Province. Then the authorities explained the meaning of the new national symbols. The Commander of the FARDC (Armed Forces), the Commander of the National Police and the District Commissioner for Ituri were then given a national flag by the Governor.

[Bunia is located near Lake Albert, close to the border with Uganda. Ituri was one of the regions where the civil war was the most difficult to stop and I guess that the news report intends to stress that the national order has been re-established there.]
Ivan Sache, 07 Mar 2006


Amendments to the national flag

photo sent by Juan Manuel Gabino Villascán, 30 May 2010

The photo above shows the DRC flag being raised at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.  The colours are as indicated in the Beijing 2008 Flag Manual (p. B16), with the flag being  in 2:3 ratio and having a small golden star.

image by Juan Manuel Gabino Villascán, 30 May 2010

This is supposedly the "correct" flag based on the brochure of the "Ceremonie de la signature et promulgation de la constitution... 18 fevrier 2006".  While the colours match that shown in the Beijing 2008 Flag Manual, the star is much larger than that seen in the flag actually raised at the 2008 Olympic Games.
Juan Manuel Gabino Villascán, 30 May 2010

The Constitution of 2003 (Article 4) mentions the blue as being of a light shade.
J. Patrick Fischer, 28 May 2010

The protocol manual for the London 2012 Olympics (Flags and Anthems Manual, London, 2012) [loc12] provides recommendations for national flag designs. Each National Olympic Committee was sent an image of their flag, including the PMS shades, by the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games (LOCOG) for their approval. Once this was obtained, the LOCOG produced a 60 x 90 cm version of the flag for further approval. So, while these specifications may not be the official, government, version of each flag, they are certainly what the National Olympic Committee believed their flag to be.

For the DRC : PMS process blue, 032 red, 109 yellow. The vertical flag is simply the horizontal version turned 90 degrees clockwise.
Ian Sumner, 10 Oct 2012


Presidential flag

image sent by Jan Mertens, 08 Dec 2006

Has anyone seen detailed photos of the national flag used in the recent swearing-in ceremony of Joseph Kabila, new (and former) president of the Democratic Republic of Congo?

A press photo in the Thursday 07 December 2006 issue of the freely-distributed newspaper Metro (Dutch edition) shows a detail – part of the word ‘PRESIDENT’ in yellow letters can just be made out - see photo above from the constantly changing photos on the Presidential homepage at http://www.presidentrdc.cd/accueil.html

It could be a flag made for the occasion, of course, rather than the official presidential flag.
Jan Mertens, 08 Dec 2006

Seen from another angle, yet another press photo shows the words "LE PRESIDENT" so there is a definite article as well.
Jan Mertens, 22 Dec 2006

image sent by Bruce Berry, 03 Nov 2013

In today's Sunday Independent  newspaper (Johannesburg) there is a photograph of South African President Jacob Zuma reviewing a Guard of Honour during his state visit to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) earlier this week. The photograph clearly shows a DRC National flag with a gold fringe with "LE PRESIDENT" in gold capital letters written below the diagonal stripe.   This confirms earlier reports of the existence of a Presidential Standard for the DRC.
Bruce Berry, 03 Nov 2013