IS YOUR CELL PHONE A MURDER WEAPON?

1. 46 years Kabila assasinated War over Coltan in 1998 Kabila declared President Rwandan Genocide 1994 Mobutu changes DRC’s name to Zaire and his to Mobutu Sese Seko Corruption and internal rivalries continue UN forces deployed to prevent anarchy 1960-1964 Independence from Belgium in 1960, Mobutu in power IS YOUR CELL PHONE A MURDER WEAPON? Western Consumers v. the People of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) Research By Mariam Abuhaideri Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Aran MacKinnon, Director of Interdisciplinary Studies The Link Regional Focus: The DRC The region is known for its abundant wealth of natural resources. Despite this, the people of the Congo have been driven deeper into poverty and vulnerability because of regional wars, internal conflict, environmental degradation and disease. International competition for scarce resources in general, and for coltan in particular, is a key factor in the lack of stability and continuation of the war in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The DRC has 80 percent of world’s known coltan reserves. Although ethnic tensions existed prior to the war, escalation of the civil conflict is a by-product of this trade. (3) The Actors: Who is to Blame? • Western Consumers? • Manufacturing Companies? • Rebel groups of Rwanda, Uganda, Burundi? • Government of DRC? • Consumers in Developing Countries? Technological boom in the west led to an increase in the demand for cell phones, computers and other gadgets. The DRC provided low cost coltan for the global market. Affluent consumers and technology companies exploited the weak region. Militia in Rwanda, Uganda and Burundi clawed out much of the profit from the wealth generated from coltan to intensify the conflict by purchasing arms on the international market to further their movement’s engagement with regional conflict. Profits do not benefit local people or development plans. Farmers have been forced off their land or into mining as war has ravaged their land. Miners threaten the environment of eastern lowland gorillas. Miners are killing elephants and gorillas on wildlife reserves and national parks. Coltan Columbite Tantalite is one of the many lucrative natural resources that is illegally mined and exported to industrialized regions for profit. Once refined, this high heat-resistant mineral, is used as a key component in cell phones, PDA’s and laptop computers. Mining and selling Coltan is not illegal. Most worldwide supplies of tantalum come from legitimate mining operations in Australia, Canada, and Brazil Historical background