Coat of arms of the Democratic Republic of the Congo

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The Coat of Arms of the Democratic Republic of the Congo has changed several times since 1997. The current one was introduced in 2006 and depicts a leopard head, surrounded by an elephant tusk to the left and a spear to the right. Below are the three words which make up the national motto: Justice, Paix, Travail (Justice, Peace, Work in French). It was adopted on February 18, 2006 by President Joseph Kabila.

The old coat of arms, which was introduced in 2003, depicted three intricate hands surrounded by a garland of corn. At the top is a lion head and at the bottom the motto Démocratie, Justice, Unité (Democracy, Justice, Unity in French).

The coat of arms of the DR Congo of 1999 consists of a light blue shield. In the middle is a yellow star, above which there are six smaller stars. This coat of arms was introduced along with the flag.

The even older coat of arms (of Zaire) from 1971 to 1997, depicted a leopard head, below it a pair of crossed spears, around it a branch and an elephant tusk. The words Paix, Justice, Travail are written on a white band under the spears. This coat of arms was officially introduced on August 1, 1964.

Coat of arms of Zaire (1964 - 1997)

1999 coat of arms

2003 coat of arms

Coat of arms as of 2006

[edit] References

• This article incorporates text translated from the corresponding German Wikipedia article as of June 9, 2006.