Congo rebels muddy minerals market with illegal Rwanda exports, says UN report
Labourers work at an open shaft of the SMB coltan mine near the town of Rubaya in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo on August 13, 2019. PHOTO | REUTERS
Rebels in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo fraudulently exported at least 150 metric tonnes of coltan to Rwanda last year, leading to the largest contamination of the Great Lakes Region's mineral supply chain on record, UN experts said in a report.
The flows started after the M23 movement, purportedly backed by Rwanda, seized the Rubaya area, which produces minerals used in smartphones and computers, following intense fighting in April.
