Minerals in Conflict - Global Policy Forum
www.globalpolicy.org/security-council/dark-side-of...CachedUS companies are now required to publicly disclose their efforts to ensure that their products are free of "conflict minerals" from the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
https://www.globalpolicy.org/security-council/dark-side-of-natural-resources/minerals-in-conflict.html
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Countries
rich in minerals such as cobalt, coltan, cassiterite, copper, and gold
are often marred by corruption, authoritarian repression,
militarization, and civil war. Rebel groups, governments and mining
companies exploit mineral resources, fueling civil and interstate
conflict as players vie for control over riches. Countries such as the
Democratic Republic of Congo have fallen victim to rebels who use
revenue from minerals such as diamonds,
coltan and cassiterite to purchase arms and fuel conflict. Governments
often establish repressive military regimes in mineral producing regions
to protect their "national interests," but local populations rarely see
the profits and are subjected to environmental damage wrought by
corporations. The articles and analyses below follow the dark nexus
between mineral riches and bloody conflict.
GPF Perspectives l UN Documents | Reports | Articles
GPF Perspectives
GPF Blog: U.S. Financial Reform Bill also Targets 'Conflict Minerals' from Congo (July 21, 2010)
US companies are now required to publicly disclose their efforts to
ensure that their products are free of "conflict minerals" from the
Democratic Republic of the Congo. Legislators attached the new law to a
massive (unrelated) financial reform bill that passed in Congress,
drawing praise from NGOs and industry officials alike. Although the bill
does not impose penalties on companies that report taking no action,
its proponents say that concerned consumers can now distinguish between
companies that monitor minerals and those that do not. For more analysis
on this issue, visit the GPF Blog. (The Washington Post and Global Policy Forum)
GPF Blog: Death by Gadget (June 26, 2010)
Activists have shed light on the dark side of natural resources
with a timely and creative message. Playing off of an advertising
campaign of the Apple corporation, the Enough Project has effectively
used YouTube and Facebook to raise awareness over the use of conflict
minerals in common gadgets like iPhones, PC computers, and Blackberrys.
The activists believe that tech corporations need to display more
transparency when it comes to minerals like tantalum, tungsten, tin, and
gold. One organizer describes the campaign's goals succinctly: "There's
no magic-bullet solution to peace in Congo, but this is one of the
drivers of the conflict." For more analysis on this issue and for a link
to Enough's YouTube video, see GPF's blog. (The New York Times and Global Policy Forum)
UN Documents
Resolution 1952 (November 29, 2010)
The UN renewed sanctions on the
Democratic Republic of Congo on November 29, 2010. Resolution 1952 added
an interesting new component. The resolution includes guidelines for
importers, processors and consumers buying Congolese minerals, which are
the source of funding for many rebel groups. The resolution language
is weak and non-binding, but it is significant. It is the first time the
Council has acted so broadly on the role that natural resources play in
conflict.
Addendum to the report of the Panel of Experts on the Illegal Exploitation of Natural Resources and Other Forms of Wealth of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (November 13, 2001)
This report describes how a number of
neighboring countries are perpetuating the war in the DRC by illegally
exploiting its natural resources. It calls for a moratorium on
third-country exports of Congolese minerals, and suggests the
possibility of future sanctions.
Report of the Panel of Experts on the Illegal Exploitation of Natural Resources and Other Forms of Wealth of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (April 12, 2001)
The report investigates the illegal exploitation of diamonds,
cobalt, coltan, gold and other lucrative resources in the DRC. It
recommends to the Security Council a temporary embargo on natural
resources imported and exported from Rwanda, Uganda and Burundi.
Report of the UN Expert Panel on the Illegal Exploitation of Natural Resources and Other Forms of Wealth of the DRC (January 16, 2001)
The panel expresses its frustration that few of those involved in
the Congolese conflict are willing to cooperate with the panel's
investigation.
Reports
Understanding Conflict Minerals Provisions in Eastern Congo (2013)
The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform Act 2010 aimed to restrict the
trade of conflict minerals sourced from the Democratic Republic of
Congo. Trade in these minerals is crucial to the electronic and other
industries. Since the early 2000s, The United Nations Group of Experts
and many international NGOs have highlighted the link between the
illegal exploitation of natural resources in the DRC and revenues from
the illegal trade that finances rebel groups and fuels conflict in the
region. The Dodd-Frank act however, does not ban or penalize the use of
conflict minerals. If a company is sourcing minerals from the DRC, they
merely have to make public their imports and report their source to the
American Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The increased
attention that conflict over minerals received is a welcome development.
However, such initiatives will have little impact unless domestic
governance issues are addressed. (Enough Project)
China and Congo: Friends in Need (March 2011)
This Global Witness report
focuses on the 2007 China-Congo deal between two Chinese construction
companies and the Congolese government. The agreement promises minerals
from Congo’s Kinshasa region to be sold to the Chinese companies while
the Chinese invest in infrastructure development in Congo. While the
deal appears to be a “win-win” for both sides, Global Witness highlights the lack of information available about the finances of the deal and how it will continue to play out. (Global Witness)
Papua New Guinea: Serious Abuses at Barrick Gold Mine: Systemic Failures Underscore Need for Canadian Government Regulation (February 1, 2011)
Exploitation of Papua New Guinea’s natural resources at the Porgera
gold mine has led to violence, human rights abuses, corruption, and
environmental degradation. Operated by Canadian company Barrick Gold,
the world’s largest gold mining corporation, the mine generates enormous
wealth while Porgera remains impoverished. Human Rights Watch
documented acts of gang rape by private mine security personnel, abuses
committed against illegal miners scavenging for discarded bits of rock
on the mine’s sprawling waste dumps. HRW calls on the Canadian
government to undertake legislative initiatives of corporate social
responsibility, investigate allegations of abuse, and introduce a
regulatory framework to sanction and publicly report on companies
failing to meet minimum human rights standards overseas. (Human Rights Watch)
'The Hill Belongs to Them': The Need for International Action on Congo's Conflict Minerals Trade (December 2010)
This report by Global Witness
highlights the recent developments of resource conflict in the DRC,
notably Security Council Resolution 1952 from November 2010. It
discusses the Congolese army's role in perpetuating the conflict and the
lack of corporate due diligence to trace the origins of minerals. The
report gives a series of recommendations that address each level of the
conflict, underlining how the DRC and other countries can apply pressure
on the illicit mining in Congo. (Global Witness)
The Complexity of Resource Governance In a Context of State Fragility: An Analysis of the Mining Sector in the Kivu Hinterlands (November 2010)
Observers have focused on the Kivu region in the DRC because it is the center of the worst conflicts over minerals. However, the surrounding areas are more stable and show promise for managing resource extraction while mitigating conflict. This International Alert report discusses the situation in the Kivu Hinterlands and argues that the region could be the first step in improving due diligence in the mining sector. (International Alert)
Global Witness has published a
major report on the role of international mining companies in the
conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The report shows how the
companies are aiding the continued trade in "conflict minerals" and
fuelling the fighting in the DRC. (Global Winess)
Under-Mining Peace: The Explosive Trade in Cassiterite in Eastern DRC (June 2005)
This report reveals the concealed role
of minerals in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), as eastern DRC
rebel groups fight for the control of cassiterite. Global Witness
urges the UN Security Council to impose sanctions on cassiterite and
coltan imports from Rwanda, as well as to include monitoring of natural
resources exploitation and flows in the mandate of MONUC.
This Human Rights Watch report
"documents human rights abuses linked to efforts to control" key mining
areas in the Democratic Republic of Congo. While Ugandan soldiers have
"coerced gold miners to extract the gold for their benefit,"
multinational gold corporations exploring in the area have provided
logistical and financial support to violent Congolese armed groups.
According to the report, "the international community has failed to
effectively tackle" this problem. Although the UN appointed a panel of
experts to investigate the role of illegal exploitation of natural
resources in the conflict, the Security Council failed to establish a
mechanism to follow up the panel's recommendations.
Rush and Ruin - The Devastating Mineral Trade in Southern Katanga, DRC (September 2004)
This Global Witness report exposes the dynamics and
negative impacts of the illicit trade in coltan and copper in the
Democratic Republic of Congo. The mining sector is largely uncontrolled
and marred by a lack of transparency leading to economic and social
problems that, if unaddressed, could "fuel a resurgence of historical
secessionist sentiments."
Extractive Sectors and the Poor (October 10, 2001)
This report by Michael Ross of Oxfam America
delineates how mineral and oil extraction lead to corruption,
authoritarian repression, militarization, and civil war. The report
contests the conventional economic wisdom propagated by the
International Financial Institutions, which claim that developing
nations prosper by extracting and exporting their oil and mineral
wealth.
Risky Business: The Grasberg Gold Mine (1998)
The summary of this report by Project Underground reveals Freeport McMoRan's complicity in the Suharto regime's repression of indigenous peoples.
Articles
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2015
Open Letter to Members of the European Parliament on the EU Conflict Minerals Regulation (May 19, 2015)
Every year, millions of euro worth of
minerals flow into the EU from some of the poorest places on earth. No
questions are asked about how they are extracted, or how it impacts on
local communities. The EU has no legislation in place to ensure
companies source their minerals responsibly. The trade in resources –
such as gold, diamonds, tantalum, tin, copper and coal – continues to
perpetuate a cycle of conflict and human rights abuses in many fragile
areas of the world. Now is the time for change. Ahead of a landmark vote
on a new conflict minerals law to be held in the European Parliament on
20 May 2015, 157 civil society organisations urgently call on Members
of the European Parliament to vote for a law which will finally tackle
the trade in conflict minerals and ensure that European companies do not
benefit from and contribute to human rights abuses. (amnesty international)
2013
Darfur Tribal Violence Flares over Gold Mines (February 4, 2013)
Fighting between tribes has broken out in
Darfur over access to gold mines and levies on miners. 100,000 people
have already left their homes, and over 100 people have been killed in
the conflict, according to the government. The tribes once relied on
Sudanese government support from oil revenues. However, since the
secession of South Sudan, tribes began mining to replace the loss of
income. Following the outbreak of violence, 60,000 civilians have fled
to the remote desert town of El Sireaf, already host to 2,500 previously
displaced people. The UN has spent $2 million on this operation due to
the difficulty in transporting food and medicine through desert roads
and the need for high security. The United Nations Office for the
Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Khartoum, Sudan, stated
that they haven't seen sudden displacement on this scale in years. (Al
Jazeera)
M23 Rebels Making Millions through Gold Smuggling from Eastern Congo (January 17, 2013)
M23 Congolese rebels use the revenue from
gold titanium and tin mines in the North of the country to finance their
operation. The M23 allegedly uses posts at the Ugandan border to
smuggle illegal gold and minerals into Kampala. According to a UN Group
of Experts for Congo, two shipments of conflict gold were smuggled into
Uganda in December 2012, which had the combined value of $19 million.
The mineral-rich territories in the North Kivu province are host to
killings by Congolese rebel groups against the mining settlers the M23
claims to fight for. Mine operators and miners families are being forced
to flee their villages due to the high threat of attack from rebel
groups. Little progress has been made to regulate the trade of conflict
gold from Eastern Congo. (Enough Project)
2012
Government Online Mining Database to Increase Transparency (January 31, 2012)
In an effort to increase transparency and accountability of the
diamond trade, Sierra Leone has launched the first online mining
database in West Africa. The database will post all revenue data on
extracted natural resources and identify which mining companies are
legally authorized to operate. Although the database is a step forward,
the new system will still rely on government officials, not independent
sources, to upload the data. (IPS Terraviva)
2011
Conflict Minerals Law Hold-Up Threatens Lives in the DR Congo (December 21, 2011)
The delay of the Dodd-Franks Wall Street Reform and Consumer
Protection Act, a US law known primarily for regulating the US financial
market, is perpetuating the sale of “conflict minerals” that fuel and
fund atrocities in the ongoing war in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The law requires all SEC listed companies to report whether they are
sourcing “conflict minerals” from armed militias in order to make
consumer goods for US markets. However, the law is currently stalled at
the SEC rule-making body, allowing armed groups and corporations to
benefit from the mineral trade. (IPS Terraviva)
West Papua’s Cry for Help (November 8, 2011)
As the world focuses on peaceful protest movements of the Arab
Spring, armed police are beating, torturing, and killing West Papuans
who continue to demand independence. While the Indonesian government and
transnational corporations make enormous profits from exploiting
natural resources on the island, local Papuans remain impoverished. The
companies Freeport-McMoRan and Rio Tinto derive enormous wealth from the
Grasberg Mine while destroying the environment and funding human rights
abuses by the Indonesian military, with disastrous consequences for the
Papuan people. (Al Jazeera)
Gobi Mega-Mine Puts Mongolia on Brink of World’s Greatest Resource Boom (November 7, 2011)
Extraction rights to Mongolia’s natural resources, thought to be
the largest deposit of coking coal on Earth, will be auctioned off to
overseas bidders. Because the mines use scarce water rapidly, locals
fear extraction will devastate the environment and threaten the
livelihood of nomads in the southern Gobi, exacerbating concerns over
usage rights. The next lucrative supermine to come will be operated by
Ivanhoe Mines and the notorious Rio Tinto. Despite potential for
corruption and weak oversight, UNDP officials expressed hope that
democratic Mongolia could serve as an example of transparent,
environmentally sensitive resource extraction that benefits the whole
population. (Guardian)
Merkel Joins the Global Hunt for Natural Resources (November 2, 2011)
Chancellor Angela Merkel, in close collaboration with German
industries, is spearheading a project aimed at securing Germany’s supply
of natural resources. Rare-earth, in particular, has become essential
in the production of many daily as well as high-tech items. The demand
for rare-earths has risen dramatically, fuelling competition between
countries. China is Germany’s primary competitor as the Chinese
government is using its huge influence in Mongolia and Africa to
conclude contracts granting it access to natural resources. Germany is
thus leading a more aggressive policy to secure its share of raw
materials. (Spiegel)
Law to Curb Conflict Minerals under Attack by the Chamber of Commerce (October 18, 2011)
Global Witness calls on the Securities and Exchange Commission
(SEC) to resist aggressive industry pressure and issue robust
regulations to combat trade in conflict minerals and stem attacks on
civilians in the Congo. The SEC is finalizing rules to implement Section
1502 of the Dodd-Frank Act, a provision requiring companies to carry
out “due diligence” checks on supply chains to determine whether their
products contain conflict minerals. This presents the best chance to
establish a clean minerals trade that contributes to development, rather
than fueling instability. Though the provision is already spurring
positive changes on the ground, the Chamber of Commerce claims it is too
burdensome for companies. (Global Witness)
Mining Companies Funded Indonesian Abuses (October 3, 2011)
Anglo-Australian mining giant Rio Tinto and US-based mining
corporation Freeport routinely made illegal payments to the Indonesian
armed forces to secure its Grasberg mine operation, despite the
military’s long history of human rights violations. These mining
companies made annual payments averaging $5m each year for
government-provided security. Additional funding went directly to
individual commanders, such as General Mahidin Simbolon, who led the
1999 East Timor massacre, and the police Mobile Brigade, a group cited
by the US State Department as having committed serious human rights
violations, including extrajudicial killings, torture, rape, and
arbitrary detention. A 2007 Indonesian ministerial decree demanded that
the security of "vital national objects,” such as Grasberg, be handed
over to police within six months, but the corporations have yet to
comply. (Al Jazeera)
Stabilizing Congo (September 22, 2011)
Mining and electric multinational corporations are exacerbating the
conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo by engaging in
exploitative supply chains and taking advantage of a weakly regulated
international banking system. The conflict is rooted in the struggle
among national and regional actors for control of mining operations,
tensions over ethnicity, diminishing land availability, and access to
state resources. MNCs profit from an accommodating system which permits
large sums earned from conflict minerals to be deposited abroad, while
people living within the DRC remain impoverished. To help stabilize the
Congo, powerful states, NGOs, and major international organizations
should support due diligence in supply chains and international banking.
(Foreign Policy in Focus)
Boosting Accountability for Mining and Oil Industry (April 12, 2011)
The Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), a
coalition aimed at better governance of natural resources, has accepted
Guatemala as a candidate for membership. In order to become a member,
Guatemala must comply with several steps, which would make its
extractive industries more transparent. The government hopes that by
joining EITI, the population will be able to trust that sound practices
are taking place and that they are benefitting from their natural
resources extraction. As a result of EITI’s influence, Latin America is
becoming more responsible for its extractive industries, which will
hopefully bring positive benefits to the populations of the resource
rich countries. (IPS)
2010
Conflict Minerals: Time to Dig Deeper (December 6, 2010)
The Dodd-Frank Act, in the US, is a
recent example of government action on corporations using conflict
minerals. However, this article argues that the Dodd-Frank Act, and
similar action in other countries, provides a very limited response to
the illicit mineral trade. While the act requires companies to show
where their mineral resources come from as part of good practice, it
does not hold them accountable. Furthermore, international oversight of
resource extraction is notoriously difficult in conflict-ridden
regions. The Kimberley Process for diamonds demonstrates the difficulty
with using "certificate of origin" to determine where natural resources
have come from. Governments should to take a stronger stand with real
penalties for corporations that continue to use conflict minerals. (Ethical Corporation)
Blood in the Mobile (2010)
"Blood in the Mobile" is a documentary
recently released in Europe that examines the link between mineral
mines in eastern Congo and mobile phone manufacturing. In eastern Congo,
film director Frank Poulsen visited a mine that is producing minerals
to be sent to cell phone makers worldwide. Several factions are fighting
for control of the mine and its profits. Cell phone companies are
unable to guarantee that their materials do not come from mines that are
funding the conflict.(bloodinthemobile.org)
Congo General 'Profits from Blood Gold' (November 10, 2010)
Competition for natural resources is
fueling the conflict in the Congo, especially in the North Kivu region.
Recently, the BBC investigated the Omate mine. General Gabriel Amisi
Kumba, Second in command of the Congolese army, secured the mine for
the mining company Gerimanco in exchange for a share in the profits.
General Kumba worked to remove the company Socragrimines in favor of
Gerimanco, but according to the head of the Congolese mining industry,
neither company had the rights to Omate. After a state-wide ban on
mining went into place in October, Gerimanco was removed from Omate, but
production has continued under control of the Congolese military.(BBC)
Mining for El Salvador's Gold - In Washington (August 26, 2010)
The people of El Salvador have been
successfully fighting off advances from giant mining companies,
notorious for environmental destruction and damage to the health and
livelihoods of native residents. The popular resolve has spread to the
Salvadoran government, which has denied permits for gold mining in the
country, sending a strong message that El Salvador will no longer
tolerate foreign investors who are detrimental to its own natural
environment. Yet this success of democracy is now threatened by a
Washington free-trade tribunal in which two transnational mining
companies are attempting to sue the government of El Salvador for
denying them access to the resource. (Epoch Times)
UK Accused over Congo Mineral Sanctions (July 26, 2010)
Global Witness, an NGO that works to
sever the link between natural resources and conflict, is trying to sue
the UK government. Global Witness claims that the government has failed
to submit a list of companies that purchase "conflict minerals," despite
strong evidence that UK companies are funding conflict in the
Democratic Republic of the Congo in this way. This would be in
contravention of UN Security Council Resolution 1857, and thus Global
Witness argues that London is breaching its international legal
obligations. (Oneworld.net)
Peak Phosphorus (April 20, 2010)
Phosphorus is an essential element to
the global food chain, and it is running out. Across the world, farmers
treat their crops with phosphorous-rich fertilizers to boost crop
yields, scientists use it to synthesize DNA and it is vital to healthy
bone-growth. Current levels of phosphorus use are dangerously high, a
consequence of the Green Revolution. Estimations suggest that, at
current rates, phosphorous depletion can be expected in thirty to forty
years. As resource scarcity increases, governments will wrangle to
secure access to this vital and rare element. (Foreign Policy)
Tuareg Activist Takes on French Nuclear Company (April 2, 2010)
Almoustapha Alhacen is challenging the
French nuclear company, Areva, accusing it of contaminating water
resources and causing serious illness in Niger. Areva's total sales of
uranium last year totaled $19 billion; however, Arlit - the location of
the uranium mine - has received nothing but contaminated wells,
radiation poisoning and water shortage. The French company provides
scant safety equipment for the mines workers and when diseases arise
they attempt to disguise the symptoms as something else. (Der Spiegel)
DRCongo: Ex-Rebels Take Over Mineral Trade Extortion Racket (March 11 , 2010)
Former CNDP rebels - who integrated
with the Congolese army in 2009 - are running extortion rackets in the
tin and tantalum mining areas in eastern Congo. These rackets provide
the ex-rebels with the necessary resources to re-arm and resume fighting
whenever they wish. Global Witness emphasizes how crucial it is that
the demilitarization of mines be set as a condition for the withdrawal
of UN Peacekeeping force MONUC. (Global Witness)
Peru's Mineral Wealth and Woes (February 10, 2010)
Peru is one of the world's largest
producers of gold, copper, tin, zinc and silver. The massive increase in
natural resource exportation has promoted economic growth; however, it
has also created governance challenges, high levels of deforestation and
widespread environmental degradation. Further, a recent report by
Peru's national ombudsman office attributed forty-seven-percent of
social conflict in 2009 to have grown from the environmental issues of
the extraction industry. The country has made some efforts to tackle the
negative consequences of its natural-resource based economy - but it
must act efficiently and quickly if it is to avoid falling prey to the
"natural resource curse." (Council on Foreign Relations)
In Peru's Amazon, Finding Gold but Leaving Mercury (January 5, 2010)
Steep increases in the price of gold
have encouraged thousands of Peruvians to search for the metal in the
Amazon River. However, the method of extraction uses approximately five
grams of mercury for every gram of gold extracted; consequently,
poisoning one of the planets "most biodiverse rainforests.". (Christian Science Monitor)
2009
US Company Helps Fuel Congo War (December 03, 2009)
Civil conflict in Congo is driven by
violent struggle for control of natural resources. One of the deadliest
conflict minerals is col-tan, which used in mobile phones and other
electronic devices. A leaked UN report on DRC identifies the key players
in the col-tan trade. Niotan, an electronics company based in Nevada,
is pinpointed as one such company, whose purchase of minerals from
eastern Congo is helping finance the decade-long war.(Global Post)
Looting Africa: Canadian Company Eyes Gold in Democratic Republic of Congo (August 20, 2009)
Despite chronic outbreaks of violence
in the DRC, a Canadian mining company has started a project to dig for
gold in the eastern part of the country, hoping to extract up to $10
billion worth of precious metal. The region's recent history shows that
the exploitation of mines by foreign companies has often led to violent
conflicts between local militias and neighboring countries over the
control of natural resources. (Toward Freedom)
Electronic Firms Urged to Boycott 'Blood Minerals' (April 2, 2009)
A new NGO paper shows how "conflict
minerals" that are used in laptops, cell phones and other devices,
directly fuel violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Rebel
groups sell conflict minerals to Western technology companies, in
exchange for money, which allows them to purchase arms, and serve as a
direct cause of widespread violence in the country. Western governments
should stop fueling the conflict by adopting legislation "that requires
companies to disclose where their minerals are sourced, and creates
penalties for those who continue purchasing conflict minerals." (Inter Press Service)
2008
El Salvador: Gold Mining "Is A Huge Rip-Off' – Environmentalists (December 8, 2008)
Environmental groups and civilians in
El Salvador protest against the work of the Canadian based Pacific Rim
Mining Company, because it negatively affects the environment and the
inhabitant's livelihood. Gold and silver mining pollutes the water,
causes acid drainage and increases water shortages, negatively affecting
the health of four million people in El Salvador. Whereas mining is
disadvantageous for the population, the mining company will make an
estimated nine billion dollars in long-term profit. (Inter Press Service)
How the Mobile Phone in Your Pocket Is Helping To Pay For the Civil War in Congo (November 9, 2008)
The majority of coltan, used in mobile
phones and soup tins, comes from rebel-controlled mines in Congo.
Miners pay their employees less than a dollar per kilogram of the
mineral and often use children to work for them. After Congolese
citizens carry 50 kilograms of coltan for more than 2 days to another
part of Congo, traders sell the mineral in the UK, Belgium, and other
industrialized countries. (Telegraph)
Chile: Native Community in Desert Oasis Threatened by Mines (October 9, 2008)
This Inter Press Service article
discusses the effect of mining on indigenous people living in Chile.
Chilean citizens fear that Canadian mining contracts, established with
the Chilean government, will open the door to more large-scale mining
projects that pollute the rivers with heavy metals, illegally take land
from indigenous communities, destroy archeological sites and prohibit
the indigenous population from herding their animals in certain areas.
UK Company Afrimex Broke International Guidelines, Says British Government (August 28, 2008)
The British government has reaffirmed
claims by the UK organization, Global Witness, which states that
Afrimex, a UK company, contributes to human rights violations in the
Democratic Republic of Congo by trading minerals. Global Witness
argues that Afrimex buys minerals from Congolese rebel groups that
commit human rights abuses and therefore supports and buys minerals
produced in conditions of forced and child labor.
A Glittering Demon: Mining, Poverty and Politics in the Democratic Republic of Congo (June 26, 2008)
The Democratic Republic of Congo's
vast deposits of cobalt, copper, diamonds, and gold has sparked
innumerous conflicts since the Belgian colonial period. Between 1999 and
2007 militias clashed over the control of mineral resources leaving
approximately 60,000 civilians dead. This article argues that large
mining companies, such as foreign-owned AngloGold Ashanti, finance
militias that fight over control of mines in the eastern and northern
Ituri regions. The mining industry regulates most of the region's
employment, allowing the companies and their militias to exploit poor
workers who have no choice but to dig for minerals under the barrel of a
gun. (CorpWatch)
Congo: Four Priorities for Sustainable Peace in Ituri (May 13, 2008)
In 2003, the government of the
Democratic Republic of Congo and opposition militia groups signed a
UN-brokered peace deal allowing the Ituri province limited autonomy with
increased revenues from the area's rich natural resources. However, the
government has reneged on the deal, by signing a secret concession with
transnational corporations to drill for oil near Lake Albert. As a
result, militia groups are rearming against government forces and using
child soldiers to transport timber resources to neighboring countries. (International Crisis Group)
Demilitarising Militias in the Kivus: Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (May 12, 2008)
Rival militias undermine the UN peace
process in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to exploit natural
resources, states the Institute of Security Studies. Due to the
economic benefits of controlling mining and logging industries in the
area, groups such as the Fronts de liberation de Rwanda and the Mayi
Mayi in Kivu refuse to give up arms to UN peacekeepers (MONUC). The
author argues that if MONUC fails to disarm the militias, civil war
could return to the DRC.
D.R. Congo Reviews Mining Contracts Signed During Resource-Fueled War (May 8, 2008)
The government of the Democratic
Republic of Congo (DRC) makes progress in renegotiating mining contracts
signed during the country's civil war, says World Politics Review.
Rich multinational companies signed lucrative extraction deals with the
government and rebel leaders during the war in exchange for money and
military hardware. Although the article praises the DRC government for
reviewing these mining contracts, the author warns that the
renegotiation stage is open to corruption, and that any failure to
distribute the natural resources fairly could trigger further violence
in the country.
DRC Mining Contract Review: Oversight and State of Play (April 2008)
In March 2008, the government of the
Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) published a review claiming that it
would renegotiate the exploitative mining contracts signed during the
civil war (1996-2006). However, this renegotiation process remains
secretive, with the DRC government excluding NGOs from participating in
the negotiations. This report urges the DRC to distribute money from
natural resources to local communities, and to publicize government
income from rich multi-national corporations. (A Fair Share of Congo)
Congo's Contract Review: Its Strategic and Economic Significance (January 17, 2008)
This Pambazuka report
illustrates the strategic and economic importance of the Democratic
Republic of Congo's natural resources to Western corporations. Due to
vast mineral reserves, "Congo, probably more than any other African
nation, has been subjected to repeated external intervention."
Highlighting the role of companies such as Tenke Mining, Phelps Dodge
and Freeport McMoRan, this report concludes that mining contracts amass
spectacular wealth at the expense of the Congolese people.
2007
Peacebuilding Efforts in Sierra Leone Must Address Natural Resource Governance (October 10, 2007)
In 2006, the UN Security Council
requested that the Peacebuilding Commission help Sierra Leone devise a
strategy for reconstruction and poverty reduction. Although this country
has a long history of natural resource exploitation, a June 2007 PBS
draft does not refer to this issue. In response, Global Witness
submitted a report to the PBC indicating the link between the
exploitation of natural resources and the root causes of Sierra Leone's
civil war. It also recommended that the Commission include natural
resources post-conflict management, in countries where exploitation
funds conflicts.
Blood Minerals' in the Kivu Provinces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (June 1, 2007)
This ZNet article describes
how minerals from Kivu Province mines in DR Congo finance conflict
there. In particular, General Laurent Nkunda, whom the International
Criminal Court indicted for war crimes in 2002, finances his military
occupation of North Kivu with proceeds from the Lueshe mine's
pyrochlore. Nkunda illegally exports the pyrochlore using circumventive
methods similar to those used in illegal diamond trade, used for example
to fund West African rebel groups.
DR Congo: Dirt Above Ground, Precious Metals Below (April 10, 2007)
A coalition of NGOs from Europe,
Africa and the United States launch an international appeal, calling on
the Congolese government to "clarify and revise all mining contracts
inherited from the past, set up an independent mechanism to monitor the
implementation of contracts, and ensure transparent and fair management
of mining resources." The aim is to try to ensure that yields from the
country's vast natural resources benefit the population. The appeal will
be presented to the president of the World Bank, the government of the
DRC and the partner countries of the DRC on April 14 and 15. (Terraviva)
The Resource Curse Revised: Conflict and Coltan in the Congo (2007)
Despite the growing demand for colton,
a mineral used in mobile phones and laptops, the implications of coltan
exploitation are largely disregarded by the countries that trade in
this mineral. In the DRC, home to the world's largest coltan reserves,
rebels fund their armies by trading coltan to big electronic companies.
Although these corporations claim not to purchase the mineral from
conflict areas, electronics worldwide contain illegally stolen colton
from the DRC. (Harvard International Review)
2006
War, Murder, Rape... All for Your Cell Phone (September 15, 2006)
While the democratic elections give
hope for the future in DRC, peace in the country will depend on the
government taking greater control over the mines. Minerals such as
coltan, cassiterite, tin oxide and cobalt, heavily abundant in DRC, have
a tremendous value as they are needed to make cell phones, laptop
computers and other portable electronics. Poorly paid soldiers have
strong incentive to gain control over resource-rich areas. Soldiers have
been founded using intimidation, pillage, arbitrary arrests or torture
to tax or steal what mining workers extract. (AlterNet)
The Secret War Against Defenceless West Papua (March 9, 2006)
John Pilger describes Indonesia's
brutal occupation of West Papua as "one of the great secrets of our
time." He describes how the 1969 "Act of Free Choice" referendum on West
Papua's future was rigged to ensure that the resource rich island
remained under Indonesian control. Pilger accuses the "international
community" of betraying West Papua for a stake in the island's huge gold
and copper reserves. Today, Indonesia protects its largest source of
revenue – US mining companies in West Papua – by brutally suppressing
West Papuans demands for freedom. (New Statesman)
2005
Elections in the Congo Not an End in Themselves (December 19, 2005)
Holding elections in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is no panacea, warns this analyst from the International Crisis Group.
To build a functioning democracy, the new government will need to
address the role of natural resources in fuelling the nine-year war. By
ensuring that copper and gold extraction benefits the Congolese people -
not just international mining companies and local elites - the
government could prevent recurring violence. (East African)
Congo and Uganda: A Rush of Gold (December 2005)
According to a political affairs
officer of the UN mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo,
peacekeepers "don't have the means" to prevent Ugandan-backed rebels
from illegally exporting gold from the northeastern region of Ituri to
Europe. In addition, some ministers of the Kinshasa government are
directly involved in gold trafficking and have no interest in
establishing peace in the region. As a result, the unbothered rebels
continue to violate the UN-established arms embargo by purchasing arms
with the profits generated by the gold mining industry. (Le Monde diplomatique)
Gold Keeps War in the DRC on the Boil (March 7, 2005)
Rising prices in valuable mineral
resources have renewed tensions between Rwanda and the Democratic
Republic of Congo (DRC). In November 2004 Rwanda threatened to invade
the DRC, arguing Kinshasa harbors Hutu militias who participated in the
1994 Rwandan genocide. Armed Rwandan-backed groups control Congolese
mines and profit from the increasing value of coltan, casting doubt on
Rwanda's intentions as its troops gather on the DRC's borders. Experts
fear clashes between Congolese government forces and renegade factions
could destroy the fragile peace process in the country. (Mail and Guardian Online)
Congo Looting Keeps East Awash in Guns (February 28, 2005)
Congolese in Northeast Ituri say the
region will not stabilize as long as private entrepreneurs and military
figures run the province. A lack of border controls and airspace control
facilitates gun trade into the region, which has contributed to the
killing of at least 50,000 people in clashes between Hema and Lendu
ethnic groups. As foreign traders exploit Congo's natural resources,
they fuel ethnic strife in the DRC by providing local militias with
weapons in return for protection of mining businesses. (Reuters)
UK Ignored UN Report On Looting in Congo, Say MPs (February 21, 2005)
A 2002 UN Panel of Experts report
charged 85 Western companies with looting up to $5 billion worth of
minerals in the DRC and asked individual states to conduct their own
investigations into the pillaging of gold, diamonds, timber and coltan.
Despite the gravity of the charges, the British government has made
"little progress in examining and resolving the allegations" and British
companies involved in the scandal have yet to face any punishments. (East African)
Congo Plans to Clamp Down on "Blood" Mineral (February 9, 2005)
Kinshasa plans to halt the flow of
high-tech mineral coltan, mined by rebels in the east of the country to
finance and prolong local conflicts. Experts estimate coltan mining
yielded an average of $20 million a month for rebels in control of the
mines during Congo's civil war, and argue the mineral is a destabilizing
factor in eastern DRC. (Reuters)
Unearthing the Truth: Mining in Peru (February 2005)
In the 1990s, the Peruvian government
implemented a series of legal reforms aimed at attracting foreign
investment in the mining sector. As a result, investment increased but
the environmental and social costs clearly outweighed any benefits for
local communities. This Christian Aid report calls for more
stringent national and international regulation to ensure that poor
communities benefit from industrial development where it takes place.
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