The issue of conflict diamonds is one that has been a part of the international consciousness for more than a decade, since the United Nations forbid countries from buying diamonds from Angola. The UN played a leading role in sharply reducing the sale of diamonds to fund armed violence. Thanks to coordinated international efforts and legislation, the trade in illegal diamonds fell from 20 percent of the total diamond trade in the 1980s, to one percent by 2004. One important element in the reduction of the conflict diamond trade was a massive effort by the diamond industry to certify the origin of diamonds so that governments and consumers could reject those coming from areas of violence — mostly in Africa. The 2006 film, Blood Diamond, brought the subject to popular consciousness, and it is unlikely that diamonds will ever again be able to be used on a large scale to finance an insurgency or warlord’s activities.
Now, with the proliferation of consumer electronics, attention is being drawn to the trade in conflict minerals. These minerals, specifically 3T minerals — tin, tantalum and tungsten — as well as gold, are used extensively by the electronics industry. According to the campaign, “Raise Hope for Congo,” $144,000,000 in profits are made each year by armed groups from selling minerals mined in eastern Congo. The conflict in eastern Congo is considered to be the deadliest since World War II and it is being funded in large part by the multimillion dollar trade in conflict minerals.
Every time consumers buy a mobile phone they unknowingly may be providing support to the armed groups who are raping women, killing children and driving millions from their homes. Greed is behind the struggle to control Congo’s enormous mineral wealth. And with the demand for consumer electronics growing exponentially, the only way to stop the violence in Congo is to cut off the trade in conflict minerals.
To understand why Congo’s minerals are so much in demand, first it’s necessary to know how they are used. Tin is essential within all electronic products as a solder on circuit boards. Fifty-three percent of tin worldwide is used as a solder, the vast majority of which goes into electronics. Raise Hope for Congo (www.raisehopeforcongo.org) estimates that armed groups earn approximately $85 million per year from trading in tin. The second of the 3T minerals, tantalum, is used to store electricity in capacitors, a type of electronic component in iPods, digital cameras and cell phones. Armed groups earn an estimated $8 million per year from trading in tantalum. Finally, tungsten is used as part of the vibration feature in electronics. Tungsten is growing in importance for armed groups in Congo, currently earning them about $2 million annually. Beyond the 3T minerals there is gold. While considerable amounts of the gold mined becomes jewelry, it is also important in the electronics industry. Armed groups are earning between $44 million and $88 million per year from gold.
Unlike diamonds, there is no a transparent minerals supply chain. Armed groups simply transfer minerals mined in eastern Congo to neighboring countries, from where they are purchased and disappear into products such as CD players and computers. This results in the world’s consumers indirectly financing and arming violent groups that commit daily atrocities. As a minority group in Congo, Muslims have been hit hard in the violence.
The horror must cease. Countries such as the United States are in the process of passing legislation that would force companies to reveal the source of their mineral supplies. The next move is for consumers to demand conflict-free electronics products. Consumers can influence electronics industry leaders as they weigh whether or not to invest in making their supply chains transparent and producing verifiably conflict-free products. Raise Hope for Congo has made it easy for anyone’s voice to be heard. Through a form at www.raisehopeforcongo.org, consumers can send a message to the 21 largest global electronics manufacturers urging them to step away from the use of conflict minerals.
Since 1996, more than 5.4 million people have died from the ravaging effects of war and its aftermath in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Despite successful elections in 2006, more than 45,000 people are still dying every month in eastern Congo, mostly from hunger and disease resulting from the ongoing conflict. Consumer demands helped stop the violence in Africa fueled by Blood Diamonds. If you want peace of mind in enjoying your cell phone, iPod or notebook computer, support an end to the trade in conflict minerals.
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