National Order of the Leopard
The National Order of the Leopard (French: Ordre national du Léopard) was the highest honorific decoration of the Democratic Republic of the Congo from 1966 until 2002 when it was discontinued and replaced by the Order of the National Heroes Kabila-Lumumba.[1] It was instituted on 24 May 1966 in the Ordinance-law Number 66-330 by President Joseph-Désiré Mobutu. It rewarded the high military or civil merits rendered in the Congo.
| National Order of the Leopard | |
|---|---|
 Commander cross of the Order, second type (Republic of Zaire) | |
Awarded by  Democratic Republic of the Congo | |
| Type | Order |
| Status | Discontinued |
| Sovereign | President |
| Grades | Grand Cordon Grand Officer Commander Officer Knight |
| Precedence | |
| Next (higher) | None |
_-_ribbon_bar.png.webp){kind=small} Ribbon bar of the order (DR Congo) .svg.png.webp){kind=small} Ribbon bar of the order (Zaire) | |
The President of the Congo was the Grand Chancellor of the Order. Its administration was in the care of the Chancellor.
Ranks
The National Order of the Leopard was composed of five grades :
- Grand Cordon
- Grand Officer
- Commander
- Officer
- Knight
Notable recipients
Grand Cordons
- Emperor Akihito
- Maria Barroso
- Jean-Bédel Bokassa
- Mohammad Reza Pahlavi
- Elizabeth II (1973)
- Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (1973)
- Juan Carlos I of Spain
- Isaac Kalonji
- Jules Fontaine Sambwa
- Haile Selassie
- Queen Sofía of Spain
- Kim Il Sung (1992)[2]
- Kim Jong Il (1992)[2]
Grand Officers
- Georges Forrest
- Paul Muhona
Commanders
- Fernand Kazadi Lupelekese
- Hugh Wontner
- Yosia Bulo Butso
Officers
Knights
- Jean Ruhigita Ndagora Bugwika
- Raymond Dekkers
Unknown Classes
References
- "LOI 009-2002 du 5 août 2002 portant création de l'ordre national «Héros nationaux». (Présidence de la République)". leganet.cd (in French). Retrieved 8 February 2023.
- "Gifts, Awards for Kim Chong-il, Kim Il-song Noted". Daily Report: East Asia, Issues 242-252. The Service. KCNA. 1992 [23 December 1992]. p. 22.
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