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RD Congo Cœur d’Afrique: Africa’s Heart Powering the Future
Discover RD Congo Cœur d’Afrique, Africa’s heart, rich in resources, hydropower, culture, and resilience, driving the continent’s future with people power.
9/2/25, 3:34 PM
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Introduction – the heart that pulses across Africa
On maps, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) looks like a lung-shaped body hugging the equator. Rivers and forests radiate from its middle, and more than 90 million people speak dozens of tongues from the Atlantic coast to the mountains of North Kivu. It is this central location that President Félix Tshisekedi’s government highlights in its new tourism and branding initiative “RD Congo Cœur d’Afrique” (DRC Congo – Heart of Africa). The campaign’s message is literal and symbolic: the Congolese nation is geographically and culturally central to the African continent.
In July 2025, the government signed a four‑year “strategic partnership” with FC Barcelona worth over €40 million, guaranteeing that the “R.D. Congo-Cœur d’Afrique” logo appears on players’ training and warm‑up kits. The Catalan club says the deal will promote Congolese culture and support youth academies for football, basketball, and other sports, while critics point out that Congo’s rulers are spending tens of millions on marketing in a country where many citizens lack basic services. The slogan nonetheless encapsulates a deeper truth: from its mineral riches and hydropower to its music and fashion, the DRC really is a beating heart that powers Africa.
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Geography and symbolism – Africa’s heartland
The DRC’s geography explains the “heart” metaphor. At 2.3 million km², it is Africa’s second‑largest country and straddles the equator. The mighty Congo River drains a basin the size of Western Europe. According to the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization, the Congo Basin stretches across six countries and covers more than 4 million km², making it the world’s second‑largest tropical rainforest and home to the planet’s second‑largest river by volume. The basin’s forests store more carbon than the Amazon, earn it the nickname “Earth’s second lung,” and generate rainfall for an estimated 300 million Africans.
Rivers and tributaries from the Central African Republic, Cameroon, Angola, Zambia, and Tanzania converge here before flowing to the Atlantic. It is little wonder that pan‑African thinkers and artists have long viewed Congo as the continent’s “middle” and as the reservoir of its future.
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Natural resources – powering global technology
DR Congo’s position at Africa’s core is reinforced by mineral wealth. Underneath its red soils lie deposits that power modern technology and the green transition. The U.S. International Trade Administration notes that the DRC possesses untapped gold, cobalt, and high‑grade copper reserves, plus significant lithium and coltan (tantalum) deposits. In 2022, the country produced 130,000 tonnes of cobalt, roughly 68 % of the global supply; by 2024, output had grown to 220,000 metric tonnes, accounting for about 84 % of the world’s cobalt. Cobalt is a critical component in lithium‑ion batteries used in electric vehicles (EVs) and smartphones, making Congo indispensable in the clean‑energy transition.
Copper production has also skyrocketed. The Kamoa‑Kakula project and other mines helped Congo produce 3.3 million metric tonnes of copper in 2024, more than 11 % of global output. Cobalt often occurs alongside copper ore, giving mining companies multiple revenue streams.
The DRC is also the world’s largest source of tantalum, producing 980 metric tonnes in 2023—about 41 % of the global market. An Atlantic Council report emphasises that Congo holds around 70 % of global cobalt reserves and 60 % of lithium reserves, plus significant nickel and uranium. With EV sales and digital devices soaring, no other African country influences global supply chains as much. Yet exploitation of these minerals has long been plagued by corruption, poor governance, and foreign interference.
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Human cost of critical minerals
The global boom in cobalt demand has exposed the harsh reality of dangerous, unregulated mining pits, but the Congolese government is moving to change this. Since 2022, new systems like the Child Labor Monitoring and Remediation System (CLMRS) have registered thousands of children at mine sites, giving them a path back to school.
Women and young miners who once worked in toxic dust are now being supported through formalized cooperatives, protective equipment, and alternative livelihood programs. Under President Tshisekedi’s reforms, artisanal mining zones are being reorganized to meet safety and labor standards, while international investors are required to respect child-protection clauses.
Human rights groups acknowledge that foreign militias such as the Rwanda-backed M23 once thrived on exploiting these communities, but today, government efforts supported by the ILO, UNICEF, and civil society are redirecting mining revenues toward schools, clinics, and safer jobs, proof that Congo is determined to break the cycle of abuse and protect its people.
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Hydropower potential – turning rivers into renewable energy
If managed properly, Congo’s water resources could transform Africa’s energy landscape. The Inga Falls on the Congo River have long been recognised as the world’s largest hydropower opportunity. The International Hydropower Association estimates that DRC has about 100 gigawatts (GW) of hydropower potential, around 13 % of the global total, but has developed less than 3 %.
The proposed Inga III dam, which is awaiting regulatory approval, would add 4,800 MW of capacity, while the eventual Grand Inga project could provide 44,000 MW. A World Bank fact sheet explains that the Inga 3 Development Program aims to generate 2 GW to 11 GW of power and increase access to electricity from 19 % to 62 % of Congolese households by 2030, serving both domestic consumption and exports to southern Africa. Bank officials say the project could “provide clean, renewable and affordable energy” and become a “motor for inclusive growth”
In practice, financing and governance challenges have stalled progress. Foreign investors hesitate to fund a mega‑dam in an unstable region. Civil society groups worry about displacement and environmental damage. Yet hydropower remains Congo’s best hope for diversifying its economy and electrifying the continent. Combined with abundant solar and wind potential, the river’s force could power heavy industry, charge electric vehicles, and export electricity to neighbouring countries.
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Culture and youth – music, fashion, and innovation
Congo’s heart beats not only through minerals and rivers but through culture. The country has produced some of Africa’s most influential music. Congolese rumba, recognised by UNESCO as an intangible cultural heritage, blends African rhythms with Cuban influences and has shaped popular music across the continent. Legendary musicians like Grand Kallé, Franco, and Papa Wemba brought rumba and soukous to the world, while modern stars like Fally Ipupa, Koffi Olomidé, and Mprésident Wemba continue to fill stadiums.
In 2024, Congolese‑born French rapper Niska returned to perform in Pointe‑Noire and Brazzaville. Fans described him as “a highly inspiring artist” whose music fills them with pride and hope; Niska himself told audiences he hoped the energy would be vibrant and that “love and sharing will be present” during his shows. His homecoming underscored how Congolese artists influence youth across Africa and the diaspora.
The Sapeur movement – style as resistance
Fashion is another sphere where Congo asserts its identity. The Society of Ambianceurs and Elegant People, known as “La Sape”, is a dandy subculture that originated in the 1920s when Congolese servants of Belgian and French colonists began dressing as elegantly as their employers. A 2024 TRT Global feature traces the movement’s roots to this era, when some Congolese used flashy clothing as a subtle form of activism.
Today’s sapeurs wear colourful, head‑to‑toe outfits and designer suits even in informal settlements. The term “Sape” stands for “Society of Ambianceurs and Elegant People”, and participants see it as self‑expression, heritage, and defiance. Many sapeurs mix traditional patterns with European tailoring, and some will live in modest houses while saving up to buy outfits worth hundreds of dollars.
The late musician Papa Wemba, nicknamed “le Pape de La Sape,” popularised the culture and called it “a religion”. For Congo’s youth, La Sape represents pride and cosmopolitanism, values that the “Congo Cœur d’Afrique” campaign seeks to project.
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Entrepreneurship and innovation
Despite conflict and poverty, Congolese youths are using technology and entrepreneurship to build a future. After the government passed a Start‑up Act and created the Fonds de Garantie de l’Entrepreneuriat au Congo (FOGEC) to help young entrepreneurs access loans, Dutch fintech company MoneyPhone partnered with the Orange Corners incubator to digitise the guarantee fund.
The new digital process reduced loan application times from three months to 5.5 weeks, lowered FOGEC’s minimum guarantee size from US $50 000 to US $5 000, and cut interest rates from 8 % to 4 %. Though we cannot quote directly from the project’s report, interviews with young entrepreneurs suggest that digitalisation is helping break geographic and bureaucratic barriers.
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Environmental significance – Earth’s second lung
Beyond people and minerals, the DRC is central to global climate stability. The Congo Basin-spanning the DRC, Republic of Congo, Central African Republic, Cameroon, Gabon, and Equatorial Guinea, stores an estimated 30 billion tonnes of carbon. According to FAO, the basin’s total carbon absorption exceeds the region’s emissions, making it one of the world’s most important carbon sinks. Forests host endangered species like the okapi, bonobo, and mountain gorilla, and their destruction would release gigatonnes of carbon dioxide.
The World Bank notes that the basin absorbs more carbon than the Amazon. Its rainfall feeds agriculture across Central Africa and even influences the weather in the Sahel. Protecting Congo’s forests is thus a global priority. International climate funds are pledging billions to preserve the basin, but conservation must balance local livelihoods. Millions of Congolese depend on logging, farming, and charcoal production; without alternative jobs and infrastructure, forest protection could become another external imposition.
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Pan‑African politics – sovereignty under siege
For decades, Congo’s resources have attracted regional warlords and foreign armies. In early 2025, the M23 rebel group, backed by Rwanda, seized swaths of eastern DRC, including the Goma–Bukavu corridor. UN human rights chief Volker Türk told the UN Security Council that M23 fighters killed at least 319 civilians in July 2025, including 48 women and 19 children, making it one of the deadliest months since the insurgency’s resurgence.
The DRC and Rwanda signed ceasefire declarations in Doha and Washington, but the conflict continues to displace hundreds of thousands and fuel humanitarian crises. Eastern Congo has been fought over for more than 30 years, partly because its gold and coltan attract regional powers.
Congolese officials accuse Rwandan President Paul Kagame of using M23 as a proxy force to control mineral‑rich territories. Rwanda denies involvement and claims its forces are protecting ethnic Tutsis. The Congo Cœur d’Afrique campaign thus has a political edge: it counters Rwanda’s high‑profile sponsorships of European clubs (Arsenal, PSG and Bayern Munich) and reasserts Congolese sovereignty. Observers note that the DRC’s marketing partnership with Barcelona came just months after the government and the UN accused Rwanda of supporting the M23 rebels
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Human stories – the people behind the power
It is impossible to write about Congo’s “heart” without hearing from its people. In rural Ituri, farmers like Kavira Matsetse walk for hours to reach coffee plantations and rebuild livelihoods after losing relatives to militia attacks. Local cooperatives such as the Association Solidarité des Cooperations pour le Développement et la Vulgarisation Agricole (SOCODEVA) help widows and smallholders access seedlings and training, enabling them to buy land and houses of their own. Meanwhile, students in Kinshasa design apps to monitor floods and solar entrepreneurs in Lubumbashi install rooftop panels to reduce reliance on diesel generators. Many of these young innovators see themselves as the embodiment of “RD Congo Cœur d’Afrique,” asserting that the country is not merely a storehouse of resources but a source of creativity and resilience.
Miners in Kolwezi often earn less than $4 a day despite working long hours with minimal safety equipment. Yet even under such conditions, local cooperatives have begun forming to demand fair prices and protective gear. Women in North Kivu who make up 80 % of the labour force on coffee farms struggle to keep plantations running while men fight on the front lines, but they still join savings groups and micro‑enterprises. The human cost of Congo’s war and wealth is high, but the determination of its people is higher.
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Conclusion – Africa’s pride and global powerhouse
As the DRC government spends millions promoting its “RD Congo Cœur d’Afrique” brand on European football kits, critics ask whether the money might be better spent on schools or hospitals. Yet the slogan captures a geographic, economic, and cultural reality.
DR Congo sits at the heart of Africa’s map, and its waters feed the continent’s second‑largest forest. Its minerals power the world’s smartphones and electric cars, while its river could electrify half of the continent. Its music, fashion, and youth culture inspire millions from Lagos to Paris. At the same time, the country’s people bear the brunt of violent exploitation, both from armed groups and from global supply chains that demand cheap cobalt without protecting miners. Struggles with Rwanda‑backed rebels, corruption, and underdevelopment remain enormous obstacles.
The challenge for Congolese leaders and their partners is to ensure that being “Africa’s heart” does not mean being bled dry. Investing in hydropower, decentralised renewables, and sustainable agriculture could turn resource wealth into human development.
Transparency in mining contracts, enforcement of labour rights, and support for local cooperatives could allow communities to benefit from cobalt and copper. Protecting the Congo Basin’s forests, often called the world’s second lung, will require international funding that recognises local land rights and provides alternative livelihoods. Celebrating Congolese culture, from rumba rhythms to La Sape fashion, should go hand in hand with investing in schools, tech hubs, and innovation labs. If these elements come together, Congo Cœur d’Afrique will be more than a marketing slogan: it will be a statement of pride and a promise that the DRC’s heart beats not only for Africa but for the world.
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