The Spoils of War

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is planning to crack down on companies sourcing conflict minerals from its restive eastern regions, a move that could impact many tech firms and supply chains, Bloomberg reported Monday.

Foreign Minister Therese Kayikwamba announced that the government will investigate whether firms have been sourcing minerals – such as gold, tin and tantalum – that have been illegally mined from eastern Congo, an area plagued by nearly 30 years of conflict.

The minister added that officials will pursue legal actions against companies found purchasing minerals that were illegally extracted in the eastern provinces and smuggled through neighboring Rwanda.

The government has already warned US tech giant Apple that the metals in its products may be linked to the conflict in the country’s east.

Eastern Congo is rich in a variety of minerals, including tantalum which is used in many consumer electronics. But the region has been embroiled in decades of conflict after fighting in the aftermath of the Rwandan genocide in 1994 spread over the border.

The DRC military has been fighting various militias and rebels, including the M23 armed group, sponsored by Rwanda.

The United Nations, the DRC and the United States have accused the Rwandan government of backing the militant group, but Rwandan officials have denied the allegations.

Even so, UN officials warned that tantalum mining in eastern Congo is largely controlled by M23: Earlier this year, the group took control of the DRC’s biggest tantalum mine in Rubaya.

UN officials say a complex network of smuggling routes moves the mineral illegally from the DRC to Rwanda, where it is then sold internationally – primarily to Chinese smelters – under the label of “conflict-free” Rwandan minerals, the Wall Street Journal wrote.

The UN added that the militia uses the funds to finance its activities, noting that it generates around $300,000 monthly from taxing miners and transporters.

While this smuggling has transformed Rwanda into one of the world’s largest exporters of the mineral, Kayikwamba complained that the illegal activities have cost the DRC billions of dollars.

Meanwhile, companies are struggling to prevent “tainted” minerals from entering their supply chains, despite due diligence programs aimed at verifying they are conflict-free.

Amid efforts to reach a peace agreement, DRC officials have been calling for sanctions against Rwandan leaders for their role in the fighting.

The US and the European Union have already sanctioned some Rwandan military officials allegedly coordinating operations in the DRC, as well as Congolese officers and militia groups for their involvement in atrocities in the country.