Opinion: Consumers can influence trade in conflict minerals

From mine to cell phone — illuminating Congo's conflict mineral supply chain.

John PrendergastDecember 3, 2009 08:31Updated May 30, 2010 12:15

War-orphaned children sit in cardboard boxes at the Kizito orphanage in Bunia in northeastern Congo, Feb. 24, 2009. (Finbarr O'Reilly/Reuters)

WASHINGTON — In an effort to shine a light on the darkness at the heart of the world’s deadliest conflict since World War II, the Enough Project traveled to eastern Congo to better understand how the 3Ts (Tin, Tantalum, and Tungsten) and gold make their way from Congo’s killing fields to our cell phones, laptops, MP3 players and video game systems.

What we found is that the conflict minerals supply chain is far less intimidating than the electronics industry would have consumers believe. In fact, the journey from mine to cell phone can be broken down into six major steps that make the supply chain relatively easy to understand.

Step 1) The journey of a conflict mineral begins at one of eastern Congo’s many mines. There are 13 major mines — 12 of which are currently controlled by armed groups — and about 200 total mines in the region. The average wage for a miner (often child laborers between the ages of 10 and 16) is between $1 and $5 a day.

Step 2) From the mines, the minerals are transported to trading towns and then on to the two major cities in the region, Bukavu and Goma. In the gold trade, Butembo and Uvira are also key trading hubs.

Step 3) Export companies then buy minerals from the trading houses and transporters, process the minerals using machinery, and then sell them to foreign buyers. These companies, known locally as comptoirs, are required to register with the government, and there are currently 17 exporters based in Bukavu and 24 based in Goma.