People's Republic of Congo
| People's Republic of the Congo | ||||||||||
| République Populaire du Congo | ||||||||||
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Motto "Travail, Démocratie, Paix" (French) "Work, Democracy, Peace" |
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Anthem Les Trois Glorieuses |
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| Capital | Brazzaville | |||||||||
| Languages | French | |||||||||
| Government | Marxist-Leninist one-party state | |||||||||
| Head of State | ||||||||||
| • | 1970–1977 | Marien Ngouabi | ||||||||
| • | 1977–1979 | Joachim Yhombi-Opango | ||||||||
| • | 1979–1992 | Denis Sassou-Nguesso | ||||||||
| Prime Minister | ||||||||||
| • | 1973–1975 | Henri Lopès (first) | ||||||||
| • | 1991–1992 | André Milongo (last) | ||||||||
| Historical era | Cold War | |||||||||
| • | Established | 31 January 1969 | ||||||||
| • | Disestablished | 1992 | ||||||||
| Currency | CFA franc (XAF) | |||||||||
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The People's Republic of the Congo (French: République populaire du Congo) was a self-declared Marxist–Leninist socialist state that was established in 1969 in the Republic of the Congo. Led by the Congolese Party of Labour (French: Parti congolais du travail, PCT), it existed until 1991, when following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the country was renamed and Andre Milongo, a transitional prime minister was named.
The People's Republic of the Congo had 2,153,685 inhabitants in 1988. There were 15 different ethnic groups, although most people were Kongo, Sangha, M'Bochi, or Teke. 8,500 Europeans were present as well, mostly of French extraction. French was the official language, but other recognized languages included Kikongo and Lingala. Most of the population was centered in urban areas such as Brazzaville. Literacy was 80%, but infant mortality was also high.
Alphonse Massamba-Débat, who became the president of the Republic of the Congo in 1963, was the first African head of state who proclaimed himself openly a Marxist. He established a single party system in 1964 around his own political group, the National Revolution Movement (Mouvement National de la Révolution). Massamba-Débat was elected Secretary General of the National Revolution Movement while Ambroise Édouard Noumazalaye became its First Secretary. The Congolese single party was backed by a well-armed popular militia, the Défense Civile, headed by Ange Diawara. However, by 1968 mounting protests led Massamba-Débat to throw in prison one of its leaders, Captain Marien Ngouabi.
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