It concerns the vast mineral riches in the soils of North Kivu, sales of which finance weapons purchases for all of the rival forces in the region and constitute a key incentive behind the ongoing violence. 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 mining industry has been hit hard as its economy struggles to recover from years of war with neighbouring Rwanda. Despite resolutions from the UN, US, EU and OECD prohibiting purchases of conflict-coltan, levels of corporate compliance appear to be low. Further, the Trump administration has eliminated Section 1502 of the Dodd-Frank Act, which required technology companies to avoid conflict minerals.
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 mining industry has been hit hard as its economy struggles to recover from years of war with neighbouring Rwanda. Despite resolutions from the UN, US, EU and OECD prohibiting purchases of conflict-coltan, levels of corporate compliance appear to be low. Further, the Trump administration has eliminated Section 1502 of the Dodd-Frank Act, which required technology companies to avoid conflict minerals.