Key Points
- M23 rebels smuggle 150 tons of conflict coltan to Rwanda.
- Forced labor and illegal taxes fund the rebel operation.
- Tech manufacturers face scrutiny over conflict coltan contamination.
According to a U.N. study released Wednesday, in 2024, rebels in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo unlawfully trafficked at least 150 metric tons of coltan to Rwanda, contaminating the mineral supply chain in the Great Lakes Region to the greatest extent in ten years.
M23 rebels monopolize coltan trade in occupied Congo territory
After intense fighting in April, the Tutsi-led M23 movement—allegedly supported by Rwanda—seized the mineral-rich Rubaya region, sparking the start of the illicit trade. Rubaya minerals were able to mingle with Rwandan production due to M23’s control over transportation routes, according to the U.N. Security Council’s Group of Experts. One essential mineral found in computers and smartphones is coltan.
Referring to the northeastern Congo and surrounding nations, the report said, “This represents the most significant contamination of supply chains with ineligible minerals recorded in the Great Lakes region over the last ten years.” Requests for response were not immediately answered by M23 or Rwanda.
Technology firms are challenged by the scenario, as they are under pressure to make sure that the metals they employ in their products don’t come from conflict areas.
According to the research, M23 rebels created a monopoly on the export of coltan to Rwanda by setting up a de facto mining ministry in Rubaya. One of the biggest coltan deposits in the world is found at Rubaya.
Forced labor and illegal taxes fund rebel operations in Rubaya
According to reports, the rebels in Rubaya made $800,000 a month in taxes from the manufacture and sale of coltan. They raised miners’ wages and managed forced labor to build roads for truck transit in order to keep things running. To guarantee that minerals were exclusively supplied to authorized Congolese and Rwandan businessmen, armed rebels patrolled the town and mining areas.
As stated by Reuters, the poisoning of Rubaya’s coltan makes it more difficult for electronics manufacturers to adhere to ethical sourcing guidelines. Congo accused Apple of using conflict minerals and filed criminal accusations against the corporation and its French and Belgian subsidiaries in December.
Apple has refuted the claims, claiming that its suppliers are not allowed to use minerals that come from areas of violence, such as Rwanda and eastern Congo.
