The illegal exploitation of coltan in the Democratic Republic of Congo

Which influences have the economic interests of the high-tech industry on the maintenance and intensification of the conflict in the country?

Essay , 2013 , 11 Pages , Grade: 2,0

Politics - Region: Africa

"No blood on my mobile phone" - This slogan published by a Belgian human rights
organization as part of a famous campaign gives a glimpse on what disadvantages the
increasing digitalization and globalization has on our society.1 It refers to a material which is
used in almost any device of our daily life. We are talking about coltan, one of the rarest and
most sought commodities in the world. The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) owes
hereby one of the largest mineral deposits, but due to the illegal exploitation of natural
resources it is at the same time one of the most affected countries.1 The DRC is rich in various
minerals, but because of years of dictatorships and wars that lasted in Congo since the
beginning of the so-called First Congo War in 1996, there was not only the death of up to an
estimated 5.4 million people, but also the dissolving of ordered structures and the economic
system.2 In the context of rival rebel groups, government militias as well as occupying forces
from neighbouring countries like Rwanda and Uganda one can also find a number of foreign
companies that take advantage from the lack of structure and use it for tracking economic
interests. Over the last decades a web of corruption, exploitation and trafficking developed,
through which it was possible for the beneficiaries of the conflict to achieve their profit.

Inhaltsverzeichnis

• Introduction
• The resource wealth of the DRC and the importance of coltan for the world market
• The coltan commodity chain - from the mines of the DRC into our mobile phones
• The Exploitation of Coltan and the Finance of the Conflict
• Conclusion
• Bibliography

Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte

This essay aims to analyze the influence of economic interests, particularly from the high-tech industry, on the continuation and intensification of the conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The main thesis argues that external actors' economic interests contribute to the ongoing conflict in the DRC.

• The role of coltan in the global high-tech industry
• The exploitation of coltan resources in the DRC
• The connection between coltan trade and conflict financing
• The impact of the coltan commodity chain on the DRC's population
• The ethical implications of the coltan trade

Zusammenfassung der Kapitel

The introduction provides context for the essay by discussing the importance of coltan in the global high-tech industry and the devastating consequences of its exploitation in the DRC. It highlights the role of conflict minerals in fueling violence and instability in the region.

The second chapter delves into the resource wealth of the DRC, focusing on the significance of coltan and its global demand. It explores the history of coltan mining in the DRC and its current economic importance.

The third chapter examines the coltan commodity chain, tracing its journey from the mines of the DRC to the manufacturing of electronic devices. It sheds light on the complex network of actors involved in the trade, including local miners, traders, and international companies.

Schlüsselwörter

The keywords and focus themes of the text include coltan, conflict minerals, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), high-tech industry, economic interests, conflict financing, exploitation, commodity chain, ethical implications, and human rights.

• College: University of Frankfurt (Main)
• Grade: 2,0
• Publication Year: 2013
• Pages: 11
• Catalog Number: V275940
• ISBN (eBook): 9783656691730
• ISBN (Book): 9783656691723
• Language: English
• Tags: democratic, republic, congo, which