""If today we had a regional agreement on how to exploit the minerals, that could be a factor giving stability," said Jimmy Munguriek, a lawyer and the country director in the Democratic Republic of Congo for the NGO Resource Matters. "On the other hand, minerals can also be the cause of political instability," Munguriek said. "For example, the conflicts between Rwanda and DRC are notably linked to coltan mining.""
"'Exploitation and smuggling' of coltan in DRC Disputes over who has the right to exploit the DRC's wealth of coltan, the critical mineral from which the highly conductive metal tantalum is derived, have contributed to three decades of unrest in the country's east. Along with tin and tungsten, tantalum is one of the 3T metals increasingly sought to power consumer electronics such as laptop computers and smartphones, as well as for medical devices and aerospace and defense applications."
Critical minerals are mined in 31 African countries, with South Africa, Nigeria, and Morocco mining the widest variety and Guinea producing the largest tonnage. The global demand for these minerals offers significant economic potential across Africa. Weak labor and environmental standards and limited cross-border collaboration have created uncertainty and instability. Regional agreements on exploitation could promote stability. Minerals have driven political conflicts, exemplified by coltan-related disputes between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Coltan, along with tin and tungsten, forms the 3T metals sought for electronics, medical devices, aerospace, and defense. Looting and smuggling of 3Ts have financed armed groups and intensified unrest in eastern DRC.
Read at www.dw.com
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