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a couple months ago, the US/Marco Rubio and Qatar made a peace deal between Rwandan rebel gangs and the DRC.
Alas it didn't work. and one reason is....money.
Vauable minerals are mined in this area of eastern DRC Congo.
AlJazeerah has the background here.
Rubaya produces about 15 percent of the world’s coltan, which is processed into tantalum, a heat-resistant metal that is in high demand by makers of mobile phones, computers, aerospace components and gas turbines.Coltan is used primarily for the production of tantalum capacitors, used in mobile phones and almost every kind of electronic device ....
The mine, where locals dig manually for a few dollars per day, has been under the control of the Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group since 2024, after previously changing hands between the DRC government and rebel groups. The heavily-armed M23 rebels, whose stated aim is to overthrow the DRC government in the capital Kinshasa, captured even more mineral-rich territory in the east of the country during a lightning advance last year. The United Nations has accused M23 rebels of plundering Rubaya’s resources to help fund their rebellion, backed by Rwanda, an allegation that the government in Kigali denies.
the wikipedia article on Coltan has a lot of information on where you can find it and where it is used.
The problem is that often it is mined in poorly regulated mines, where there are no safety precautions.
One wonders who was buying this mineral from a poorly dug mine under a rebel group who doesn't care about locals. And the locals are so poor that they are willing to risk their lives.
Despite the DRC’s exceptional mineral wealth, more than 70 percent of Congolese live on less than $2.15 a day
this video is from two years ago:
crossposted to mh africablog
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