Within the final yr, a number of armed teams have taken over one of many world’s largest tantalum ore websites in Congo, Rubaya, making it “ineligible for commerce, based on the Group of Consultants’ due diligence pointers,” the group stated. The location’s takeover introduced a “critical danger” that its tin ore or tantalum may “contaminate” the provision chain from the area.
Congo and Rwanda offered greater than 60% of the world’s tantalum in 2023, based on estimates by the US Geological Survey, which considers it a “crucial mineral.”
The group created its due diligence pointers for corporations in 2010 on the route of the UN Safety Council as a part of a global motion to cease the acquisition of minerals that fund battle in Congo.
“Violations of the group of consultants’ pointers, notably by actions that end result within the financing of battle actors, are sanctionable by the UN Safety Council,” based on Gregory Mthembu-Salter, who helped write the rules.
The consultants’ report exhibits the requirements, together with associated conflict-minerals legal guidelines within the US and EU, have had restricted impact on cleansing up the profitable commerce. The present humanitarian disaster — with tens of millions displaced as a result of combating — is “unprecedented,” based on the report.
A lot of Congo’s minerals illicitly cross the border into Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi, the place they’re bought into main worldwide markets and find yourself in client items.
The regional commerce in gold, which is definitely smuggled in small portions on account of its excessive worth, is value a number of billions of {dollars} and has develop into a key supply of financing for armed teams, based on the consultants.
“The exploitation and commerce of gold continued to be an important supply of enrichment for armed teams and a few” members of Congo’s military in northeastern Ituri province, whereas armed teams managed a lot of the commerce in massive elements of South Kivu province, the report stated.
Military ‘diverted’
Congolese military “monetary assets and troopers had been diverted from the battle towards armed teams to the safety of personal pursuits within the mining sector,” the group stated.
Greater than 100 armed teams are energetic in japanese Congo combating for land, assets, political illustration and safety.
In a press release on Monday, the US State Division stated corporations wanted to do additional monitoring of their provide chains from Congo, Rwanda and Uganda in mild of the group of consultants’ report.
Whereas corporations can nonetheless supply minerals from the area responsibly, “different corporations seem to have eased their give attention to significant due diligence,” the State Division stated.
The US known as for extra engagement by corporations all alongside the provision chain to reform and enhance the transparency of “flawed” industry-led mineral tracing techniques at the moment in place.
(By Michael J. Kavanagh)