Britannica
Sources used in this answer
- history of the Democratic Republic of the Congo - Overview
- Democratic Republic of the Congo - Belgian paternalism and the politics of decolonization
- flag of the Republic of the Congo
- Kinshasa - History
- Democratic Republic of the Congo - The Congo crisis
- Democratic Republic of the Congo - History of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
When did the Congo gain independence from Belgium?
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The Democratic Republic of the Congo formally gained its independence from Belgium on June 30, 1960.1
Following a period of rising nationalist sentiment and anti-colonial protests, the Belgian government held a Round Table Conference in Brussels in January 1960 to organize the transfer of power. Upon achieving independence, the country was initially known as the Republic of the Congo, with its capital located in Léopoldville (which was renamed Kinshasa in 1966).123