By Global Witness

The militarisation of mining in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is prolonging the armed conflict that has been tearing the country apart for more than 12 years. In many parts of the provinces of North and South Kivu, armed groups and the Congolese national army control the trade in cassiterite (tin ore), gold, columbite-tantalite (coltan), wolframite (a source of tungsten) and other minerals. The unregulated nature of the mining sector in eastern DRC, combined with the breakdown of law and order and the devastation caused by the war, has meant that these groups have had unrestricted access to these minerals and have been able to establish lucrative trading networks. The profits they make through this plunder enable some of the most violent armed groups to survive.



In their broader struggle to seize economic, political and military power, all the main warring parties have carried out the most horrific human rights abuses, including widespread killing of unarmed civilians, rape, torture and looting, recruitment of child soldiers to fight in their ranks, and forced displacement of hundreds of thousands of people. The lure of eastern Congo’s mineral riches is one of the factors spurring them on.

By the time these minerals reach their ultimate destinations – the international markets in Europe, Asia, North America and elsewhere – their origin, and the suffering caused by this trade, has long been forgotten.



The illicit exploitation of natural resources is not a new phenomenon in eastern DRC. It has characterised the conflict since it first erupted in 1996 and has been well documented by non-governmental organizations (NGOs), the United Nations Panel of Experts and Group of experts, journalists and others. Twelve years on, the patterns remain the same, and despite abundant evidence of these activities, no effective action has been taken to stop this murderous trade. On the contrary, the warring parties have consolidated their economic bases and have become ever more entrenched.



Our new report "Faced with a gun, what can you do?" documents the militarization of mining in the conflict-affected areas of eastern DRC. Its findings and conclusions are based primarily on our field research in North and South Kivu in 2008, and in Rwanda and Burundi in 2009.



Our report shows that all the main warring parties are heavily involved in the mineral trade in North and South Kivu. This practice is not limited to rebel groups. Soldiers from the Congolese national army, and their commanders, are also deeply involved in mining in both provinces. In the course of plundering these minerals, rebel groups and the Congolese army have used forced labour (often in extremely harsh and dangerous conditions), carried out systematic extortion and imposed illegal "taxes" on the civilian population. They have also used violence and intimidation against civilians who attempt to resist working for them or handing over the minerals they produce.



The most detailed information we obtained relates to the Forces démocratiques pour la liberation du Rwanda (FDLR), the predominantly Rwandan Hutu armed group, some of whose leaders are alleged to have participated in the 1994 genocide in Rwanda, and the Forces armées de la République démocratique du Congo (FARDC), the Congolese national army. The involvement of these two groups in the mineral trade is extensive and well-organised.



Our report sets out detailed recommendations for governments, individuals, organisations and companies inside and outside the DRC who have the power to break the links between the mineral trade and the conflict. Foremost among these recommendations are:

• measures to cut off warring parties’ access to mining sites in the DRC, as well as international trade routes and external networks;
• ending the impunity protecting those engaged in illicit mineral exploitation and trade, through actions by the governments of DRC, neighbouring countries and countries where companies are registered;
• thorough due diligence by all companies trading in minerals that may originate from eastern DRC and stronger corresponding action by their governments to hold accountable those who continue to trade in ways that fuel the conflict.

For the entire report "Faced with a gun, what can you do?", published by Global Witness in July 2009, please seehttp://www.globalwitness.org/media_library_detail.php/786/en/global_witness_report_faced_with_a_gun_what_can_yo

For more information on minerals and conflict please seehttp://www.ecc-platform.org/#

Published in: ECC-Newsletter, August 2009