A Menu to Celebrate African Independence Days in August

Eight African countries proclaimed their independence within seventeen days, in August 1960: Benin, Niger, Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, Chad, the Central African Republic, Congo-Brazzaville and Gabon. For their diasporas settled in France and Belgium, this month remains marked by commemorations. Here is a menu of traditional dishes, country by country, to celebrate them, with the ingredients to cook them in France.

The calendar of African independence days in August 1960

• August 1: Benin, then called Dahomey
• August 3: Niger
• August 5: Burkina Faso, then called Upper Volta
• August 7: Côte d'Ivoire
• August 11: Chad
• August 13: the Central African Republic
• August 15: Congo-Brazzaville, the Republic of the Congo
• August 17: Gabon

These eight countries, all former French colonies, proclaimed their independence in the same year, 1960. Two neighbouring countries are sometimes mistaken for this group even though they celebrate their independence on a different date: Cameroon, on January 1, 1960, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on June 30, 1960.

A dish for each independence

Benin, August 1

Akara, a fritter of peeled, blended black-eyed peas, fried into small golden balls, is a specialty shared by Benin and neighbouring Nigeria. See our akara recipe and our guide to Beninese cuisine.

Niger, August 3

Dambou, a couscous of millet or wheat mixed with steamed moringa leaves, is a traditional dish of the Zarma and Songhai peoples of Niger. See our dambou recipe and our guide to Niger cuisine.

Burkina Faso, August 5

Tô, a paste of millet or sorghum, is served with sauces made from green leaves such as babenda. See our Burkinabe tô recipe and our babenda recipe.

Côte d'Ivoire, August 7

Kedjenou, chicken simmered slowly in a sealed pot, without added water or oil, is served with attiéké or foutou. See our chicken kedjenou recipe and our guide to Côte d'Ivoire cuisine.

Chad, August 11

Millet or sorghum boule is served with okra or peanut sauces, depending on the region of the country. See our guide to Chadian cuisine.

Central African Republic, August 13

Kanda, ground beef and pumpkin seed balls in tomato sauce, served with rice, is considered the country's national dish. NKOSI does not yet offer a recipe dedicated to Central African cuisine.

Congo-Brazzaville, August 15

Saka-saka, pounded cassava leaves simmered in palm oil, and moambe chicken, simmered in a palm nut sauce, are two dishes of the country. See our saka-saka recipe, our moambe chicken recipe and our article on Congo-Brazzaville cuisine.

Gabon, August 17

Nyembwe chicken, simmered in a palm nut sauce close to Congolese moambe, is considered a national dish of the country. See our guide to Gabonese cuisine.

The ingredients to cook this menu in France

Several ingredients recur from one dish to another in this menu:

• peanut paste, for babenda, moambe and nyembwe chicken
• red palm oil, for moambe and saka-saka
• dried moringa leaves, for dambou
• ground pumpkin seed, for Central African kanda
• dried attiéké, to accompany kedjenou

Find these products with TANTIE peanut paste, MAMA FUTA red palm oil, dried moringa leaf, ground pumpkin seed and dried attiéké.

Frequently asked questions

How many African countries celebrate their independence in August?

Eight countries, all former French colonies, proclaimed their independence in August 1960, between the 1st and the 17th: Benin, Niger, Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, Chad, the Central African Republic, Congo-Brazzaville and Gabon.

Does Cameroon celebrate its independence in August?

No: Cameroon proclaimed its independence on January 1, 1960, not in August. It is sometimes mistaken for this group of countries because its independence dates from the same year.

Where to find the ingredients for this menu in France?

NKOSI sells several ingredients for this menu (peanut paste, red palm oil, moringa leaf, ground pumpkin seed, dried attiéké) and ships them from the Paris area within 24 to 72 working hours, to mainland France (2 to 3 working days) and to ten European countries. The minimum order is 39 €: in France, delivery to a pickup point is then free, and home delivery is free from 69 €.