Congo's Conflict Minerals Power Your Cell Phone

by ERICA LIEPMANN, Causecast Associate Editor

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is the second largest African nation and is home to a plentiful array of valuable natural resources. Among the country’s minerals is coltan, an important component of many electronics including cell phones and computers. The DRC has an astounding 80 percent of the world’s coltan resources. The abundance of natural wealth should mean the country has a thriving and healthy economy, right? Wrong.

The struggle over the nation’s mineral resources has fueled decades of both internal and international armed conflict. Yet, while millions of Congolese people are dying over conflict minerals in Africa’s World War III, people around the world are enjoying their cell phones and computers guilt free.