Day of the Martyrs in Congo - Kinshasa
Day of the Martyrs, officially the Day of the Martyrs of Independence, is a national public holiday in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Held on 4 January, it remembers Congolese people killed during the 1959 uprising in Léopoldville, now Kinshasa, and the struggle for independence.[1][2]
A legal holiday on 4 January
The 2023 ordinance setting the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s legal holidays names 4 January as the Day of the Martyrs of Independence. The Labour Code says that wages are due for legal public holidays, while leaving the rules for those holidays to a ministerial order.[1][4]
The ordinance says that when a legal holiday falls on a Sunday, the related day off is taken on the preceding day. Check local notices or workplace arrangements when the Sunday rule matters.[1]
The 1959 events remembered
The holiday refers to events in Léopoldville on 4 January 1959, during Belgian colonial rule. The Congolese national news agency reports that people gathered to demand independence despite the colonial authorities’ prohibition of a political meeting by the Association of the Bakongo, known as ABAKO. The gathering was violently suppressed and caused deaths.[2]
The exact death toll is disputed in the ACP account: it gives 49 as the official figure and notes that witnesses reported hundreds. The holiday honours Congolese victims and their place in the movement for independence.[2]
The uprising is remembered as a turning point in the country’s path to sovereignty. The Congolese presidency’s biography of Joseph Kasa-Vubu also links the failed ABAKO meeting on 4 January with the unrest and the negotiations that followed, which led to the Brussels Round Table.[2][3]
Commemorations and practical planning
Reported observances include official ceremonies, tributes to independence heroes, and public conferences intended to pass the history on to younger generations. In Kinshasa, the ACP reported a wreath-laying attended by political and religious officials. A culture minister also called for identifying memorial sites across the provinces. Customs vary across the country.[2][5]
The ordinance makes this a legal public holiday nationwide, and the Labour Code provides for wages on legal holidays. Check directly with offices, businesses and transport providers before making plans.[1][4]
Frequently asked questions
When is Day of the Martyrs?
It is observed each year on 4 January as the Day of the Martyrs of Independence.[1]
Is it a public holiday and a day off?
What happens if 4 January falls on a Sunday?
The ordinance says the related day off is taken on the preceding day when a legal holiday falls on Sunday. Check local or workplace notices.[1]
Will banks, shops, or transport be open?
Check opening hours with the relevant bank or shop and transport arrangements with the provider before travelling or arranging a visit.
Sources and references
Sources used for Day of the Martyrs in Congo - Kinshasa:
- 30 mars 2023. - Ordonnance n° 23-042 fixant la liste des jours fériés légaux en République démocratique du Congo- Journal officiel de la République démocratique du Congo, reproduced by Droit Congolais
- Le 4 janvier, symbole du courage congolais dans la lutte pour l’Indépendance (Pierre Matadi et John Masebi)- Agence Congolaise de Presse
- Joseph Kasa-Vubu- Présidence de la République Démocratique du Congo
- LOI 2002 PORTANT CODE DU TRAVAIL- Legali RDC
- 4 Janvier : identification des sites mémoriaux pour l’érection des monuments référentiels pour la postérité- Agence Congolaise de Presse