Title: SCARCITY AND CONFLICT

REFLEXTION OR NOT REFLEXTION IN OUR INDIVIDUAL RESPONSABILITY

2008: Coltan, the 'blood mineral' of Congo

A mineral that's used to make mobile phones is helping to finance the civil war in the Democratic Republic of Congo, say NGOs.

Since 25 October, war has been raging once again in Congo. Under direction of Tutsi leader and former member of the Rwandan Patriotic Front Laurent Nkunda, soldiers have once again picked up their guns to fight the Congolese Army. Our Observers take the opportunity to consider the responsibilities of mobile phone manufacturers in the war.

According to Carina Tertsakian of the NGO Global Witness, and Colette Braeckman, a specialist on Africa, it's time to investigate the trafficking of coltan, a mineral which they say is extracted in the east of the country through exploitation, and which partly finances the rebels, along with the equally deplorable gold and cassiterite (tin oxide) trades. After Liberia's "blood diamond", here's the blood mineral of Congo.

Thanks to our italian Observers Alberto Celani who alerted us to this story.

Coltan, the 'blood mineral' of Congo (france24.com)

Issued on: 12/11/2008 - 18:42Modified: 06/10/2010 - 10:12

2010: Coltan: a new blood mineral

What is Coltan?

Coltan, also known as columbite-tantalite, is a dull black metallic mineral containing the elements niobium and tantalum. Tantalum, a heat-resistant material that can hold a strong electrical charge, is used to make capacitors used in a wide variety of electronic devices, from cellphones to nuclear reactors. It is also used in high-heat-resistant steel alloys for applications such as aircraft engines.

Human rights observers charge that coltan, used in electronic devices such as cellphones, DVD players, video game systems and computers, has been directly linked to financing civil wars in Africa, especially in the DRC.

Men, women and children are said to be forced at gunpoint to mine coltan that is then shipped out of the country at huge profits.

"Coltan is extracted under terrible working conditions in mines in eastern Congo," DanChurchAid, a Danish humanitarian nongovernmental organization, reported in 2006. "The United Nations reports child labour in Africa has significantly increased in coltan mines. In some regions of the Congo, about 30 per cent of schoolchildren are now forced to work in the mines."

https://www.cbc.ca/news/science/coltan-a-new-blood-mineral-1.894027

CBC News · Posted: Dec 10, 2010 3:00 PM ET | Last Updated: December 10, 2010

2016: Why Europe Intervenes in Africa: Security Prestige and the Legacy of Colonialism

A fragment of the book : Why Europe Intervenes in Africa: Security Prestige and the Legacy of Colonialism.

"A realistic approach indicates that humanitarianism is only a factor for intervention onces states or the EU are convinced that their own security, economies and prestige are not damaged by the intervention. None of the interventions by European actorsd in Africa analysed in this book were primarily humanitarian".

By Catherine Gegout, 2016

2019: Handheld Violence. Geographic Consumption of Conflict Mineral Coltan

One mineral

So small, that a child who can barely speak can hold. So precious, millions of electronics from phone to airplane rely on it. So deadly, families are being forced to work in mines and villages are destroyed just for the control of the mine. This is the story of Columbite-Tantalite or commonly known as Coltan, a mineral found in Eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

This is a story map examining the inter-connectivity between third world, war-torn artisan mines and the global commodity chain of electronics.

A story map of lies, loopholes, and human greed. An attempt to disconnect and disassociate consumption and place of origin.

Commodity:

Columbite-Tantalite AKA Coltan

Coltan or Columbite-Tantalite is a dull metallic ore. When refined, parts of Coltan becomes a heat resistant powder, metallic tantalum, which has unique properties for storing electrical charge.

The end product is Tantalum capacitors which are used in high-end electronic devices such as cellular telephones and portable laptop.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is the largest Coltan producer, supply about 80% of all Coltan mined. DRC is also responsible for 39% of the total raw Tantalum production in the world.

The price of precious

Every step, Coltan is no longer a local or regional product.

Every step, the producer is trying to erase the marker of Coltan's history.

Every step, Coltan changes its shape, size, and color.

Every step, Coltan becomes juts another tiny piece of medal.

Each and every step is an attempt to bury the blood and tears of the children and family who gave their life to our daily comfort.

The truth is that Coltan fuel conflict and wars. Each and every purchase we make contribute to the suffering.

Steve Gu

26 de noviembre de 2019

https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/2ad59ab540354c7091d33f21339ce86b

2016: DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO: A REVIEW OF 20 YEARS OF WAR

Read pages: 15, 16, 20, and 21 of the following document here attached:

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO: A REVIEW OF 20 YEARS OF WAR

Project funded by the Agència Catalana de Cooperació al Desenvolupament

April 2016 D.L.: B-16799-2010 ISSN: 2013-8032 Authors: Jordi Calvo Rufanges and Josep Maria Royo Aspa Support researchers: Elena Fernández Sandiumenge, Laura Marco Gamundi, Eira Massip Planas, María Villellas Ariño

Credits: Luwowo Coltan mine near Rubaya, North Kivu; by MONUSCO/Sylvain Liechti; the 18th of March 2014.; licence CC BY-SA 2.0