Republic Day in 2024

When is Republic Day?

Republic Day is a public holiday in the Republic of Congo on November 28th each year.

This holiday commemorates Congo becoming an autonomous republic within the French Community on this day in 1958.

The Republic of Congo is sometimes known as Congo Brazzaville to avoid confusion with the similarly-named Democratic Republic of Congo, its larger neighbour to the east.

History of Republic Day

French control of the region began in 1880, when the French explorer Pierre Savorgnan de Brazza (who the capital Brazzaville is named after) negotiated an agreement with the Bateke tribe to establish a French protectorate over the north bank of the Congo river. The French formally proclaimed the colony of French Congo in 1891. In 1910, Middle Congo, as it was known then, became a colony of French Equatorial Africa.

In 1958, the Congolese voted for autonomy within the French Community. This meant the end of French Equatorial Africa (which also included the Central African Republic, Congo and Gabon) which was dissolved and on November 28th 1958 Congo's status changed to an autonomous republic within the French Community. Chad also made the same change on this day and also celebrates its Republic Day on the same day.

The Republic of the Congo continued to be a French territory until it received full independence from France on August 15th 1960.