[1][2] Originally constructed in 1993, the stadium was renamed in 1997 to honor the ministers, including Évariste Kimba, Jérôme Anany, Emmanuel Bamba, and Alexandre Mahamba, who were publicly hanged in Léopoldville (present-day Kinshasa) on Pentecost, 2 June 1966.

This region, a border town and historic site, witnessed a pivotal moment in 1964 when Mobutu Sese Seko's led Armée Nationale Congolaise (ANC) secured a significant victory against the Mulelist insurgency and took control of the Kamanyola Bridge.

[9][10][11] Following the ousting of Mobutu from power by AFDL (Alliance des Forces Démocratiques pour la Libération du Congo-Zaïre) led by Laurent-Désiré Kabila in 1997, the stadium was renamed "Stade des Martyrs de la Pentecôte" in memory of four ministers purged by Mobutu Sese Seko and hanged at the site on 2 June 1966: Évariste Kimba, Jérôme Anany, Emmanuel Bamba, and Alexandre Mahamba.

[15][16][17] From 28 July to 6 August 2023, the Stade des Martyrs presided over the IXes Jeux de la Francophonie, a notable multi-sport event, marking the first occasion that the games were held in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

[22] In June 2021, the former Ministry of Sports, Serge Tshembo Nkonde [fr], allocated almost $5 million for the Stadium's renovation in anticipation of an inspection visit by the Confederation of African Football (CAF).

[34] Disruptions were further exacerbated by the actions of police officers stationed at the stadium entrance, who confiscated entry documents from certain spectators and accepted bribes to permit others to enter.

The Minister of the Interior, Security, Decentralization and Traditional Affairs, Daniel Asselo Okito, attributed the stampede to the organizers, holding them accountable for exceeding the agreed-upon capacity with the police and the stadium.

[34] On 27 July 2024, during Congolese gospel singer Mike Kalambayi's performance, a crowd-crush broke out, resulting in the deaths of at least nine people and leaving many others injured, some of whom required intensive care.

[38][39][40] While authorities refrained from speculating on the cause of the crowd-crush, citing an ongoing investigation, the local music management company responsible for organizing the event attributed the chaos to an intervention by security services dealing with potential disruptors.

[39][40] Although the concert organizers had initially planned to accommodate the stadium and its esplanade, the rapidly sold-out tickets led to some attendees being turned away due to insufficient space.