Your phone, a rare metal and Dr. War in Congo

There is a good chance that there is a small amount of metal inside your mobile phone that began its journey in the Earth of Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, where a war is currently increasing.

It may also be directly connected to the M23 rebel group which made global headlines this week.

Tantalum weighs less than half of the average garden peas within your device, but is essential for the efficient functioning of the smartphone and almost all other sophisticated electronic devices.

This rare, blue -gray, unique properties of shiny metal – working in a range of temperature, including being able to have a high charge than its size – make it an ideal material for small capacitors, which temporarily make it a temporary form Stores energy from

It is also mined in Rwanda, Brazil and Nigeria, but at least 40% – and perhaps more – the global supply of elements Dr. Comes from Congo and some major mining areas are now under the control of M23.

The current wave of fighting has been going on for months, but the rebels attracted attention with the Sunday attack on Goma’s important trade and transport center. City, Rwanda border, is a regional center for mining business

In the last one year, M32 has Dr. In the east of the Congo, there is rapid progress across the mineral-rich rich rich, where the tantalum is taken out from where the tantalum is taken out, the areas are carried out.

Like the score of other armed groups working in the region, M23 began as an organization defending the rights of an ethnic group, which is considered to be danger. But as its area has expanded, mining has become an important source of income, which is paying for fighters and weapons.

Last April, it confiscated the city at the center of the Coleton industry of the country.

Mineral extraction in the region is not in the hands of multinational groups – instead thousands of people toll into open pits that do the landscape, or underground, honeycomm in extremely unsafe and unhealthy circumstances.

They are a complex, and yet informal, part of the network, which sees the rocks removed from the ground using shovels, brought to the surface, crushed, washed, taxed, sold, sold Is and then exported and eventually strangles.

Once the M23 moved to Rubaya, the rebels established that a group of experts from the United Nations described as “administration -like administration”, which issues permits to the degars and traders and $ 25 respectively 20) And demands an annual fee of $ 250. M23 doubled the wages of the degrees to ensure that they are working.

It runs the region as a monopoly that ensures – through the danger of arrest and custody – that only its authorized traders are capable of doing business.

The M23 also charges a $ 7 levy on each kilogram of coltan. The United Nations Group of experts estimated that the resulting M23 earns about $ 800,000 per month from taxation in Rubaya. This money is definitely used to fund rebellion almost.

M23- A question mark hangs on how the ore extracted from controlled areas is extracted in the global supply chain.

United Nations experts say that neighboring Rwanda, who is seen as M3, is in the center of the north.

Theoretically, a certification plan – known as an innovative tin supply chain Initiative (ITSCI) – this should mean that a phone that goes into a handset and other electronics does not come from the areas of conflict, where its Use can be used to fund armed groups. Atrocity.

The US ‘Dod-Frank Act was passed in 2010, and a similar piece of European Union Law, is aimed at ensuring that tin, tantalum, tungsten and gold buying companies-Forest “struggle minerals”- There are no violence.

But ITSCI has come into some criticisms.

A security and resource management expert Kane Maithison, with an independent research group IPI, said that the scattered nature of mines on a lot of small scale makes it difficult for local authorities what is happening everywhere.

Mr. Mathisen said that its tag should be placed on the bag on the mine, so that the origin of the minerals inside can be proved, but often they reach a collection point, where it becomes difficult to find out that the ore is difficult to find out Where did you actually come from, Mr. Mathisen said.

He said that there is also a possible issue with corruption.

“There is even an allegation of state agents selling tags to traders, as they do not make a good life. So traders then go around Eastern Dr. Congo and they tag the bag themselves.”

ITSCI did not respond to the BBC request for comments, but defending its records in the past, stating that the plan is subject to a harsh independent audit. It has also been praised for bringing “Hundreds of thousands of small scale prosperity for miners”.

In the case of Rubaya, ITSCI suspended its operations immediately after entering the city in M23.

Nevertheless, the group has succeeded in continuing to continue the export of coleton.

The United Nations experts make a map of a circuit route, showing how it is moved close to the Rwandan border. It is then transferred to “heavy duty trucks”, which requires them to widen the road to adjust.

Rwanda has its own coloton mines, but experts say uncontrolled colon is mixed with rawandan production, leading to “Important contamination of supply chains”.

The M23 was already involved in the colon business before Rubaya’s possession – according to Mr. Mathisen, charging obstacles and charges to cross them.

He told the BBC, “A lot of business of these minerals went from the controlled sector to Rwanda. So, still, Rwanda was earning a profit from instability in Eastern Dr. Congo and we saw that the amount of export to Rwanda was earlier It was growing since, “He told the BBC.

The US Geological Survey data shows that Rwanda’s colon exports increased by 50% between 2022 and 2023. Mr. Mathison said that all this cannot come from Rwanda.

In a strong defense of Rwanda’s position, government spokesperson Yolande Makolo reiterated the BBC that he had minerals and refining abilities in his own country.

He said, “What is happening in Eastern DRC, like it is very condemnable to take an issue, where a persecuted community is fighting for its rights … and in an issue of physical advantage (it) Changing, “he said.

Rwanda President Paul Kagame has also rejected the reports of UN experts, which are scattered on his “expertise”.

Dr. Most of the east people of the east have been provoked by struggle for many years, questioning who is benefiting from who is benefiting from and whether the armed groups are earning profits from outside the ground.

To highlight this issue and its relation to the smartphone industry, the Kangoli government filed criminal complaints against the tech legends of Apple in France and Belgium at the end of last year, alleging “conflict minerals” Was applied.

Apple has disputed the allegation and has said that from the beginning of 2024, due to increasing struggle and difficulties of certification, it has Dr. From both Congo and Rwanda, the Tantalum between other metals stopped sourceing.

Other companies have not become so clear, which means that as long as the M23 sector seize the small bits of tantalam from the mines that they control, they still make their way in those equipment. We can come to trust which we have come to trust.