On August 15, the Republic of the Congo celebrates its Independence Day On this day in 1960, the Congolese people gained their long-awaited freedom from decades of #French colonial rule. French expansion into the region began in the late 19th century as part of the European “Scramble for Africa.” In 1882, #France established a protectorate over the lands in the Congo and Kouilou river valleys, creating an administrative unit known as French Congo. Since 1903