Republic of the Congo

CEMAC Regulation n°04/22/CEMAC/UMAC/COBAC sets the rules for Islamic finance in all six CEMAC states, including Republic of the Congo. Licensed banks and microfinance institutions may offer it in full or through an Islamic window, and a window needs prior authorisation from COBAC, the regional banking supervisor. BEAC's board gave its required opinion on the text on 5 Oct 2022. Press reports say it took effect on 1 Jan 2023 and that COBAC circular LC-COB/42 of 18 Jul 2025 set 31 Dec 2025 as the deadline for existing offers to comply. COBAC's own 2025 annual report records an Islamic-window authorisation among its 2025 prior authorisations, which shows the regime in use. The full text of the regulation was not found on beac.int. No separate national law was found.

• “Règlement CEMAC relatif aux conditions d'exercice et de contrôle de l'activité de finance islamique dans la CEMAC”
  BEAC (Banque des Etats de l'Afrique Centrale) · 2022-10-05
• “ainsi que l’ouverture d’une fenêtre islamique (1).”
  COBAC (Commission Bancaire de l'Afrique Centrale), hosted on beac.int · 2026 (annual report for 2025; exact publication date not shown)
• “règlement n°-04/22/CEMAC/UMAC/COBAC”
  Droit Médias Finance · 2022-11-30 (page shows 'Nov 30'; year inferred) · secondary
• “La lettre circulaire LC-COB/42 du 18 juillet 2025 a pour objet : Mise en conformité règlementaire”
  Droit Médias Finance · 2025-07-29 (page shows 'Juil 29'; year inferred from the 18 July 2025 circular) · secondary

• “ainsi que l’ouverture d’une fenêtre islamique (1).”
  COBAC (Commission Bancaire de l'Afrique Centrale), hosted on beac.int · 2026 (annual report for 2025; exact publication date not shown)
• “No fully-fledged Islamic banks are yet operational”
  Ecofin Agency · 2025-08-01 · secondary

CIMA Regulation n°003/CIMA/PCMA/PCE/2019 of 10 Oct 2019 added takaful rules to the CIMA insurance code, which applies in Republic of the Congo. Takaful can be written by insurers licensed only for takaful, or by conventional insurers through a takaful window once their licence is extended (Art. 903). No takaful company or approved takaful window in Republic of the Congo was found.

• “les entreprises d’assurances conventionnelles sous forme d’une fenêtre Takaful sous réserve d’obtention d’une extension d’agrément”
  CIMA, Conseil des Ministres des Assurances (PDF hosted by the Secrétariat Général du Gouvernement, Republic of the Congo) · 2019-10-10
• “Règlement N° 003 – Portant règlementation des opérations d’assurance Takaful dans les Etats membres de la CIMA”
  CIMA
• “Congo”
  CIMA

COSUMAF, the CEMAC market regulator, has sukuk rules. Regulation n°01/22/CEMAC/UMAC/CM/COSUMAF of 21 Jul 2022 (Art. 6) defines sukuk as a financial security. The COSUMAF General Regulation of 23 May 2023 (Arts 183 to 187) requires a COSUMAF visa for sukuk from non-state issuers, registration for sukuk issued by CEMAC states, and a certificate from a certifier approved by COSUMAF. Both are listed as in force on cosumaf.org. No national rule for Republic of the Congo was found.

• “le Sukuk s’entend d’un titre financier islamique, équivalent à une obligation ordinaire et soumis aux préceptes religieux de la Charia”
  Comité Ministériel de l'UMAC; official text hosted by BVMAC; listed as in force on cosumaf.org (Regulation > Basic Texts) · 2022-07-21
• “Les émissions de sukuks par les Etats membres de la CEMAC sont soumis à la formalité d’enregistrement auprès de la COSUMAF.”
  COSUMAF; official text hosted by BVMAC; listed as in force on cosumaf.org (Regulation > Basic Texts) · 2023-05-23