DR-Congo conflict fuelled by our technology

The news headlines may have slowed and the fighting subsided, but the Democratic Republic of Congo is still centre of one of the world’s deadliest conflicts.

Some 5.4 million people have died since 1998. The toll continues to rise by 45,000 each month, mostly because of conflict-related causes such as malaria, diarrhoea, pneumonia and malnutrition.

Complex social, political and economic problems have either caused or exacerbate the conflict situation – and while it is difficult to see the link between DRC’s decades-old war and consumer behaviour here in New Zealand, it certainly exists.

Over the last ten years, armed conflict in DRC has become increasingly self-financing. A significant amount of this money comes from the exploitation of natural resources – such as coltan, a mineral commonly used to power mobile phones.

When refined, coltan becomes a heat-resistant powder, with unique properties for storing electrical charge. It is a vital component in the capacitors that control current flow in cell-phones and other portable electronic device circuit boards, such as lap top computers.

With 80 per cent of the world’s known coltan located in the DRC – the highly organised and systemic operation of coltan extraction and cross-boarder trafficking is a threat to the physical and economic survival of civilians, and creates additional barriers to conflict resolution.(1)

Profits made from illegally mined coltan fuels the illegal arms trade and empowers rebel armies to wage war against civilians.

While approximately 85 per cent of the world’s coltan is legitimately sourced, it is indistinguishable from DRC’s illegally sourced mineral.

Manufacturers of mobile technology have no way of knowing whether they are using a legal source or not – which means every user of the technology is complicit in the corruption, conflict and the human casualties.

The establishment and regulation of the Kimberley Process (KP) for diamond mining and distribution has shown that the precious commodity trade can be regulated to dry-up the fuel for corruption. Without certification, a diamond cannot be sold to legitimate businesses or imported to many countries, including New Zealand.

Five years after the commencement of the Kimberley Process, diamond experts estimate that conflict diamonds now represent 0.2 percent of the international trade in diamonds, compared to estimates of up to 15 percent in the 1990s.

The KP has done more than just stem the flow of conflict diamonds, it has also helped stabilise emerging democracies and supported their development. As the KP has made life harder for rebel armies and corrupt officials, it has brought large volumes of diamonds onto the legal market that would not otherwise have made it there. This has increased the revenues of poor governments, and helped them to address their countries’ development challenges. For instance, some $125 million worth of diamonds were legally exported from Sierra Leone in 2006, compared to almost none at the end of the 1990s.

Establishing a similar type of process for coltan has already begun, with many NGOs and community groups putting pressure on governments and technology producers. Consumer pressure for coltan certification must follow if campaigning is to succeed.

Next time you’re planning on buying a mobile phone, laptop or other mobile technology, consider asking the manufacturer what their business is doing to encourage a certification process for coltan.

(ref.)1- DESA Expert Group Meeting on Conflict Prevention, Peace-building and Development, 15 November 2004, Natural Resources, Governance, Development and Conflict Discussion Paper.