Blood minerals in DR Congo

Battle for control of central African nation fuelled by increasing demand for minerals crucial in manufacture of smartphones and laptops
Karma Rowe · 1 day ago · 2 minutes read


Congo's Mineral Curse: A Digital Dilemma

The Paradox of Progress

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), a land adorned with a "dizzying array" of natural treasures, faces a bitter irony. The riches beneath its feet, crucial for powering our laptops and smartphones, have fueled an escalating cycle of violence and misery.

"It is no coincidence that violence has increased alongside consumer demand for tech," The Times laments. The illicit mining of minerals like coltan and cobalt has displaced millions and "condemned a region to perpetual chaos."

The Global Tech Addiction

The DRC is the world's leading producer of coltan, a key ingredient for tantalum used in electronics. Abundant in its conflict-ridden eastern borderlands, coltan mining practices have come under intense scrutiny.

"The bottom of the supply chain, where almost all the world's cobalt is coming from, is a horror show," warns an expert at Harvard's T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Rampant human rights abuses, child labor, and environmental devastation plague the industry.

The Apple Controversy

Amid global accountability, tech companies have pledged to clean up mineral supply chains. However, Apple faces lawsuits from the DRC government for allegedly using "blood minerals" in its iPhone 16. International lawyers accuse the tech giant of "unfathomable harm and suffering" inflicted on the DRC's people.

Apple maintains innocence, but the broader question remains unanswered: "Are our electronics fully conflict- and cruelty-free?" Endemic corruption and instability in the region make it impossible to ensure. We, as consumers, are left in a digital dilemma, pondering the true cost of our technological advancements.