Last modified: 2022-10-22 by bruce berry
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image by António Martins-Tuválkin, 21 Apr 2016
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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
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
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
