A sky blue field with a yellow five-pointed star in the canton and cut yellow-fimbriated red diagonal band from the lower hoist-side to the upper fly-side
National flag with the addition of the inscription "LE PRESIDENT"
Thenational flag of theDemocratic Republic of the Congo is a sky blue flag, adorned with a yellow star in the upper left canton and cut diagonally by a red stripe with a yellow fimbriation. It was adopted on 18 February 2006.[1][2] A new constitution, ratified in December 2005 and which came into effect in February 2006, promoted a return to a flag similar to that flown between 1966 and 1971, with a change from a royal blue to sky blue background. Blue represents peace. Red stands for "the blood of the country's martyrs", yellow the country's wealth; and the star symbol the future for the country.[3][1][4]
During the period between 1971 and 1997 asZaire, the flag consisted of a light green fabric with a yellow circle containing an arm holding a flaming torch.
Flag of the Democratic Republic of the Congo on flagpole
The previous flag was adopted in 2003. It was similar to the flag used between 1960 and 1963. That flag, in turn, was based on the flag which was originally used byKing Leopold'sAssociation Internationale Africaine and was first used in 1877. The 1877 design featured a yellow star on a blue background. The 1877 flag continued as the flag of theCongo Free State after the territory was recognized as an official possession of Leopold II at theBerlin Conference.
After gaining independence from Belgium on 30 June 1960, the same basic design was maintained. However, six smaller stars were added to thehoist to symbolise the six provinces of the country at the time. This design was used only from 1960 to 1963.
The flag of thesecond Republic ofMobutu Sese Seko became the official banner after Mobutu established his dictatorship. This flag was used from 1966 to 1971 and consisted of the same yellow star, now made smaller, situated in the top corner of the hoist side, with a red, yellow-lined band running diagonally across the center. The red symbolized the people's blood; the yellow symbolized prosperity; the blue symbolized hope; and the star represented unity.[5]
The flag changed again when the country was renamedZaire in 1971. The Zairean flag usedPan-African colours and it featured a light green flag emblazoned with a yellow circle containing an arm holding a red torch which symbolised the spirit of revolution and the lives of dead revolutionaries.[6] That flag had a central emblem which is that of thePopular Movement. The new flag was created as part of Mobutu's attemptedre-Africanization of the nation and was used officially until Mobutu's overthrow in theFirst Congo War. The flag of Zaire was also used as the political-party flag of thePopular Movement of the Revolution, led by Mobutu. This flag was adopted by theNew Zaire Government in Exile formed in 2017 and was used during afailed coup attempt in May 2024.
In 1997, when the Mobutu government was overthrown and the country assumed its current designation of Democratic Republic of the Congo, the country reverted to 1960s post-independence design, featuring a single large star and six smaller stars. In 2003, the most recent change before the adoption of the current flag, the flag's color was modified to use a lighter shade of blue.
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