The colossus of Africa 

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), situated at the very heart of the continent, is one of the most extraordinary countries of the world. It is also one of the least understood. This vast country of  around 115m people, sprawling into the lush Congo River Basin and beyond and extending from the Atlantic Ocean where the mighty River Congo disgorges into the sea to Kalemie on the shores of Lake Tanganyika deep in Eastern Africa, continues to push ahead and to defy the odds.

Consider those odds. The DRC, with an area of 2,345,410 square kilometres, is the second largest country in Africa and the 11th largest in the world. 

In terms of comparative scale: you could fit into its territory France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Italy and Spain, with room to spare for one or two more Western European nations. You have only to look at daily headlines to see that each of these countries have more than their fair share of ethnic, race, language, religion, economic and governance issues to deal with. But while they do this as individual nation states, the DRC does it as a unitary state. While each of the European countries has at most a handful of languages, the DRC has some 242. While French is the official language (a legacy of its Belgian colonial history), four other languages – Kikongo, Lingala, Kiswahili and Tshiluba are national languages. 

The DRC is not only vast; it is dominated by dense jungles making road and rail infrastructure more complex. Its main cities are separated by vast distances: for example, the capital Kinshasa is 2150 km from its mining hub of Lubumbashi and further from much of the eastern provinces such as Kivu, which is currently embroiled in conflict. Despite this, great progress is being made (see next feature).

The DRC is also extraordinary in its geographic features: with an annual rainfall of 1,200 mm (47 inches), the country is covered by the lush Congo rainforest, the second largest after the Amazon rainforest. Both are considered by environmentalists as the “lungs of the planet”.

At the heart of the country is the one million square kilometre Congo Basin, with countless tributaries draining into the River Congo on its way to the Atlantic Ocean. This vast waterway network is the principal mode of transport for the people of the country, with all sorts of river craft and boats engaged in non-stop trading. The jungles of the rainforest and the Congo Basin brim with one of the world’s most diverse collections of fauna and flora, including medicinal plants and the iconic gorillas and chimpanzees. 

$25 trillion treasure trove

The natural riches of this fabulous country do not stop with its flora and fauna; its natural resources are estimated at about $25 trillion and range from oil to gold and diamonds, to vast deposits of copper and coltan and of rare earth minerals essential to advanced industry. The DRC is the world’s largest producer of cobalt, with over 80% of the world’s stock of this critical mineral, necessary for electronic and electric vehicle industries, found in the country.

There is also massive demand for its rainforest hardwoods and rubber, natural resources that made the DRC a target of pillaging imperialists from King Leopold II of Belgium to other foreign powers over the years.

The consequence of the world’s lust for the DRC is seen in the intractable external interference and conflicts that have bedevilled the country. Peace treaties signed in 2025 between the DRC and Rwanda have not yet yielded dividends; but, with the spirit of dialogue given a chance, there is every reason to expect that the conflict will come to an end in the near future 

Unbreakable spirit of the people

However, despite these disruptions and conflicts, both internal and external – and the enormous challenge of governing such a vast country – the DRC has continued to astonish analysts with its resilience and the unbreakable spirit of its people. Its influence inside and outside the continent has been enormous even beyond the essential raw materials it provides to the world. Its music, fashion and art have conquered most of sub-Saharan Africa. Literary giants and public intellectuals have influenced minds way outside its borders. 

Kinshasa became the focus of the world from a pop cultural perspective during the epic “Rumble in the Jungle” in 1974 when Mohamed Ali regained his World Heavyweight Boxing crown from George Foreman in what is now recognised as one of the greatest fights ever. The event, which also featured US music greats like James Brown, Ike & Tina Turner and B B King, provided the lift off for great Congolese artists such as Papa Wemba, Franco, Kanda Bongo Man and Marie Miryam to reach a world-wide audience. 

Another movement that gained ground worldwide is the extraordinary male fashion and cultural tradition articulated by les sapeurs (Society of Ambience-Makers and Elegant People) which has been redefining the dance hall and club scene in Europe.

The country’s commitment to culture is evident in its creation of the Cultural and Artistic Center for Central Africa in Kinshasa – a place of training and innovation for the whole continent.

The DRC has also become a magnet not only for mining companies from China and the West, but also for commercial firms, including East African banks, many of which report greater profits from their subsidiaries in the DRC than from their home establishments. 

There is a feeling that the Congolese giant is on the cusp of great things – as long as external actors stop interfering in its affairs and threatening its sovereignty. This is the century when it emerges in all its majesty and truly becomes the Colossus of Africa. This is the message that it brings to Davos. One of peace for prosperity. And also as a nation of solutions, for Africa and the world.