The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is being exacerbated by ongoing conflict over coltan , a valuable mineral used in laptops , EVs and mobile phones . ’s The DRC ’s North Kivu is rich in deposits of the mineral and its sales are a key source of funding for the region ’s rival militias , contributing to ongoing violence . Despite sanctions from the UN , US , EU and OECD against purchases of conflict - coltan , levels of corporate investment appear to be low . Further , the Trump administration has eliminated Section 2 of the Dodd - Frank Act , which required technology companies to avoid conflict financing .
The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is being exacerbated by ongoing conflict over coltan , a valuable mineral used in laptops , EVs and mobile phones . The DRC ’s North Kivu is rich in deposits of the mineral and its sales are a key source of funding for the region ’s rival militias , contributing to ongoing violence . Despite sanctions from the UN , US , EU and OECD against purchases of conflict - coltan , levels of corporate investment appear to be low . Further , the Trump administration has eliminated Section 2 of the Dodd - Frank Act , which required technology companies to avoid conflict financing .