The Congolese Youth Union (french: Union de la jeunesse congolaise, abbreviated U.J.C.) was a youth organization in

Congo-Brazzaville The Republic of the Congo (french: République du Congo, ln, Republíki ya Kongó), also known as Congo-Brazzaville, the Congo Republic or simply either Congo or the Congo, is a country located in the western coast of Central Africa to the w ...

. The U.J.C. was initially merely a local branch of the Republican Youth Union of France (U.J.R.F.), the youth wing the

French Communist Party The French Communist Party (french: Parti communiste français, ''PCF'' ; ) is a political party in France which advocates the principles of communism. The PCF is a member of the Party of the European Left, and its MEPs sit in the European Unit ...

. However it developed into an independent organization and began organizing cells in different parts of the territory. The movement established a sizeable presence in the cities of lower Congo, such as Point-Noire,

Jacob Jacob (; ; ar, يَعْقُوب, Yaʿqūb; gr, Ἰακώβ, Iakṓb), later given the name Israel, is regarded as a patriarch of the Israelites and is an important figure in Abrahamic religions, such as Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. J ...

and

Dolisie Dolisie, known as Loubomo (or Lubomo) between 1975 and 1991, is a city in the western province of Niari in the Republic of the Congo. It is the country's third largest city and an important commercial centre. The city lies on the eastern edge of t ...

. U.J.C. was led by the

trade union A trade union (labor union in American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers intent on "maintaining or improving the conditions of their employment", ch. I such as attaining better wages and benefits ( ...

leader Aimé Matsika. The organization worked in close cooperation with the '' Confédération générale africaine du travail'' trade union movement and the African Women's Union of Congo. The U.J.C. statutes were deposited with the authorities in 1956.Bazenguissa-Ganga, Rémy.
Les voies du politique au Congo: essai de sociologie historique
'. Paris: Karthala, 1997. p. 39 U.J.C. was a member organization of the

World Federation of Democratic Youth The World Federation of Democratic Youth (WFDY) is an international youth organization, and has historically characterized itself as left-wing and anti-imperialist. WFDY was founded in London in 1945 as a broad international youth movement, o ...

. After independence U.J.C. was targeted by the government of

Fulbert Youlou Abbé Fulbert Youlou (29 June,In ''African Powder Keg: Revolt and Dissent in Six Emergent Nations'', author Ronald Matthews lists Youlou's date of birth as 9 June 1917. This date is also listed in ''Annuaire parlementaire des États d'Afrique noi ...

, which labelled the organization as '

communist Communism (from Latin la, communis, lit=common, universal, label=none) is a far-left sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology and current within the socialist movement whose goal is the establishment of a communist society, a s ...

'. In March 1960 the

National Assembly In politics, a national assembly is either a unicameral legislature, the lower house of a bicameral legislature, or both houses of a bicameral legislature together. In the English language it generally means "an assembly composed of the repre ...

began preparing a law which would restrict the activities of U.J.C. and C.G.A.T. On May 9, 1960 Matsika and other U.J.C. leaders were arrested. By the time the offensive against U.J.C. and C.G.A.T. began, Youlou had already been able to corner the parliamentary opposition. In mid-August 1963, U.J.C. and C.G.A.T. took part in an uprising against Youlou's rule, and together with the army they deposed the government. When a new military/civilian government was formed on

Christmas Eve Christmas Eve is the evening or entire day before Christmas Day, the festival commemorating the birth of Jesus. Christmas Day is observed around the world, and Christmas Eve is widely observed as a full or partial holiday in anticipation ...

1963, Matsika was included as Minister of Commerce and Industry. In 1964 the

National Movement of the Revolution The National Movement of the Revolution (french: Mouvement national de la révolution, abbreviated MNR) was a political party in the Republic of the Congo. MNR was founded at a congress held June 29 to July 6, 1964. MNR was instituted as the sole ...

(M.N.R.) was established as the sole legal

political party A political party is an organization that coordinates candidates to compete in a particular country's elections. It is common for the members of a party to hold similar ideas about politics, and parties may promote specific political ideology ...

, with its own youth wing being the J.M.N.R.
Congo (Brazzaville): Fact file
'

References

{{Authority control Youth organisations based in the Republic of the Congo Communism in the Republic of the Congo Youth wings of communist parties Youth organizations established in 1956 Organizations disestablished in 1964 World Federation of Democratic Youth