European companies and the coltan trade: An update
September 10, 2002Coltan and Congo: the implication of the private sector Coltan is a rare metal ore used for the production of capacitors and other high-tech applications. It is mined in several countries in Africa, Asia and the U.S. and later refined by a small number of processing companies in Germany, the U.S., Kazakhstan and the Far East (see frame: coltan, the black gold). For the high-tech industry, coltan p
Network War. An Introduction to Congo’s Privatised War Economy
June 16, 2002This report provides a preliminary analysis into the conflict economy of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Gradually, the scope of the war in DRC (1998-today) has shifted from political to economic motivations. Today, six states and many other rebel movements are fighting each other to gain control over Congo’s precious resources: diamonds, gold, coltan and others. Millions of Congolese have d
Supporting the War Economy in the DRC: European Companies and the Coltan Trade
January 16, 2002Since the outbreak of the second Congolese war in August 1998, the people of the Democratic Republic of Congo have been caught up in a fight over their country’s vast natural resources. Six neighbouring states and several rebel groups compete to extract maximum commercial and material benefits at an exorbitant human cost for millions of Congolese. The private sector plays a vital role in the conti
