History of Republic of the Congo Timeline

Born in 1899 in Mandzakala, Matsoua joined the French customs administration in Brazzaville in 1919 before moving to France. In Paris he formed the Association des Originaires de l'A.E.F., demanding an end to colonial abuses.

Image source: André Matsoua

Because of his support for De Gaulle, Félix Eboué, born in 1884 in French Guiana and a descendant of African slaves, became Governor-General of the AEF in 1940, the first non-white to achieve this position in French colonial history.

Image source: Félix Éboué

After Pétain surrendered to Germany on June 22, 1940, troops loyal to De Gaulle took control of Chad, Cameroon and Middle Congo within three days. Brazzaville became the capital of Free France in Africa, governed by De Gaulle's Conseil de défense de l'Empire set up on October 27, 1940.

Image source: Free France

Organized by Governor-General Félix Eboué together with René Pleven for the De Gaulle government, the conference set out the new direction of French colonial policies after World War II, leading to the abolition of forced labor and the code de l'indigénat.

Image source: Brazzaville Conference

Born in Libreville in 1903 and a member of the royal family of Loango, Jean-Félix Tchicaya became one of the first African leaders elected to the French parliament, gaining great prestige at home. He later co-founded the RDA in 1946 and the Parti Progressiste Africain in 1947.

The Brazzaville Conference led to the new French constitution of the Fourth Republic, approved on October 27, 1946, and to the election of the first Equatorial African members of Parliament in Paris.

Image source: French Fourth Republic

Although French geologists had established in 1926 the presence of oil and gas in the country, in 1957 near Pointe Indienne the Societé des Pétroles de l'Afrique Equatoriale Françaises found exploitable offshore oil and gas reserves.

Image source: Economy of the Republic of the Congo

In the parliamentary elections, Tchicaya aligned himself with his erstwhile enemy, the radical Jacques Opangault, to continue playing a leading role in Congolese political life. A High Commissioner of the République replaced the Governor-General.

The defection of Georges Yambot from the African Socialist Movement (MSA) to Youlou's UDDIA helped Abbé Fulbert Youlou become prime minister in 1958.

Image source: Fulbert Youlou

Congo-Brazzaville gained autonomy, establishing the Republic of the Congo with Brazzaville replacing Pointe-Noire as the country's capital.

Image source: Republic of the Congo

A revolt organized by Opangault and his MSA erupted in clashes along tribal lines between Southerners supporting Youlou and people from the North loyal to the MSA.

On July 12, 1960, France agreed to full independence for the Congo. On August 15, 1960, the Republic of the Congo became an independent country and Fulbert Youlou became its first President.

Under the 1963 constitution, Massamba-Débat was elected president for a five-year term and named Pascal Lissouba prime minister. His socialist-leaning government pursued Africanising policies.

Image source: Alphonse Massamba-Débat

After Youlou announced the formation of a one-party state with only one legal trade union on August 6, 1963, trade unions revolted on August 13. The uprising, named after the French July Revolution of 1830, toppled Youlou and brought Alphonse Massamba-Débat to power.

Image source: Les Trois Glorieuses

Massamba-Débat's government ended when Captain Marien Ngouabi and other army officers toppled the government in a bloodless coup. After consolidation under the National Revolutionary Council, Ngouabi assumed the presidency on December 31, 1968.

Image source: Marien Ngouabi

President Marien Ngouabi was assassinated, leading to Joachim Yhombi-Opango taking power before he too was removed from office on February 5, 1979 by the Central Committee of the PCT amid accusations of corruption.

The PCT designated Colonel Denis Sassou Nguesso, previously Vice President and Defense Minister, as leader after removing Yhombi-Opango. He ruled the Marxist-Leninist state for over a decade until the transition to multi-party democracy.

Image source: Denis Sassou Nguesso

Ending decades of one-party Marxist rule, Congo's national conference of 1991 laid out a transition agenda culminating in August 1992 with multi-party parliamentary and presidential elections.

Sassou Nguesso conceded defeat, and Professor Pascal Lissouba was inaugurated as Congo's new president, marking the completion of the democratic transition.

Image source: Pascal Lissouba

Lissouba dissolved the National Assembly in November 1992, calling new elections for May 1993. Congolese democracy faced severe trials, but in February 1994 all parties accepted the decisions of an international board of arbiters and the risk of large-scale insurrection subsided.

As presidential elections approached, tensions between the Lissouba and Sassou Nguesso camps mounted. On June 5, 1997, government forces surrounded Sassou Nguesso's home in Mpila attempting arrests, sparking civil war. Sassou Nguesso emerged victorious and returned to power.

Image source: Republic of the Congo Civil War (1997–1999)

The Sassou Nguesso regime held a National Forum for Reconciliation to determine the nature and duration of the transition period, though fighting with armed opposition resumed in late 1998.

In November and December 1999, the government signed agreements with representatives of many, though not all, of the rebel groups, easing the conflict.

A new constitution granted the president new powers and extended his term to seven years, while introducing a new bicameral assembly.

Image source: Constitution of the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Sassou won elections in 2002 with an implausible 90% or so of the votes, consolidating his grip on power.

Image source: 2002 Republic of the Congo presidential election

Denis Sassou Nguesso was re-elected for a further seven-year term at the presidential election in July 2009.

In 2015, Sassou changed the constitution to run in the 2016 election, extending his long rule.

The constitutional changes led to a revival of the Ninja rebels who launched attacks against the army in April 2016, causing around 80,000 people to flee their homes.

Image source: Ninja (militia)

A ceasefire deal was signed in December 2017, bringing an end to renewed hostilities between the Ninja rebels and government forces.

Image source: Congolese Civil War