Is Rwanda the Superpower of Africa, or is the President of the DRC Simply Incompetent?

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) accuses Rwanda of invading its territory by supporting the M23 rebel group. Despite its vast size and resources, the DRC has relied heavily on external assistance to combat Rwanda, but to no avail. This includes hiring over 2,000 European mercenaries, mostly Romanian, of whom nearly 300 were captured by M23 rebels in January 2025 after the fall of Goma.

The Congolese government has also deployed SADC troops, Burundian forces, and collaborates with FDLR and Wazalendo militias, receiving training from Belgian teams. However, none of these efforts have yielded the desired results. Now, the DRC is reportedly seeking assistance from the United States, offering to provide minerals in exchange for help in fighting Rwanda.

This situation raises questions about the dynamics between the DRC and Rwanda, particularly given the vast difference in size between the two countries. Rwanda is roughly 1.1% the size of the DRC, with a population of around 14.5 million compared to the DRC's over 112 million inhabitants.