Collection: Congo (Zaire) Leopard Spot CAMO

Between 27 October 1971 and 17 May 1997, the nation presently known as the Democratic Republic of Congo was the Republic of Zaire. Before 1960, it was a European colony known as the Belgian Congo. Still, regime changes after 1960 would lead to a rapid series of name changes for the nation, with Congo-Leopoldville, Congo, Republic of the Congo, and between 1965 and 1971, the Democratic Republic of Congo. A coup d’etat in 1965 brought Joseph-Désiré Mobutu to power, and in 1971, he changed the name of the country to the Republic of Zaire, from the Kongo word here or Azadi, meaning “the river that swallows all rivers.”

One of the more exciting camouflage designs to come out of the 1970s period in Africa was the “leopard spot” design. Although also produced for Chad and Libya, Zaire’s version incorporated more browns and had an overall darker composition. This camouflage design has been particularly associated with the Kamanyola Division and various foreign units who underwent commando training at the Centre d’Entrainement Commando at Kota Koli. Original versions of the design were reputedly produced in Belgium, but later uniforms were most certainly imported from Asian factories. This design would continue to be worn sporadically well into the 1990s.