Another strategic mineral mined in the DRC is coltan – a name derived from "columbite-tantalite". In 2021, the DRC's coltan production amounted to an estimated 700 tonnes, making the Central African country the world's largest coltan producer by far. Coltan is indispensable to the manufacture of all modern technological devices.
'Cobalt Red' describes the 'horror show' of mining the element in the DRC : Goats and Soda Phone and electric car batteries are made with cobalt mined in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The Lucrative and Violent Curse of Coltan Mining in Congo. One of Africa's most rare-minerals-rich countries, the Democratic Republic of Congo, has nevertheless endured continual poverty and internal …
Embu village mines precious coltan for years 'without knowing its value'. Saturday, February 03, 2024. Harrison Kiura displays a piece of mica mineral at a coltan mining site at Kiangunguru village in Embu County on February 2, 2024. Joseph Kanyi | Nation Media Group.
In South Africa, the mining and selling of coltan is regulated by the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act (MPRDA) of 2002. Under this act, anyone wishing to mine or sell coltan must obtain the necessary permits and licenses from the Department of Mineral Resources. Failure to do so can result in severe penalties, including fines and ...
Element Africa: Diamonds, oil, coltan, and more diamonds. Offshore diamond prospecting threatens a fishing community in South Africa, while un-checked mining for the precious stones on land is ...
This article concludes that, rather than considering coltan mining areas to be 'enclaves of regulations', understanding and addressing smuggling at both local and broader contexts call for a comprehensive, more contextualised approach. ... (in Africa and beyond)'. Discussion Paper 5, Africa, Power, and Politics Programme. London: …
Societe Miniere de Bisunzu Sarl (SMB) is the Democratic Republic of Congo's biggest coltan miner. In 2021, the African country's coltan production was estimated at …
Coltan is a type of rare earth mineral that is found in the Democratic Republic of Congo. It was traditionally used for products such as smartphones, iPads, and more. However, Coltan mining has changed drastically over the past few years due to intense demand. The rise in demand for Coltan correlates with a rise in violent conflicts across Africa.
Introduction. Coltan mining in Central Africa and especially in the Eastern Kivu region of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has often been viewed as a case for a conflict over the control of raw materials in a fragile state. 4 Although the DRC seems to advance in some key areas lately, e.g. in macro-economic management, education …
It should also be noted that KCC is the only mining operation in Africa to receive RMI certification for the 2020-21 period. Fair pay and strong union representation.
Illegal coltan mining intensifies in North Kivu. As the DR Congo security forces' battle against M23 rebels continues, illegal coltan mining is on the increase at the Rubaya mining sites in North Kivu province. Armed groups, generals and politicians are all getting a piece of the pie. Illegal coltan mining in the hills above the town of Rubaya ...
Rubaya mine at heart of vast coltan trafficking network. Tonnes of the strategic mineral coltan are being extracted and exported illegally from mines owned by the family of MP Edouard Mwangachuchu Hizi, who is currently being tried by a military court. Armed groups have been trafficking the mineral, allegedly with the complicity of the …
In 2015, a kilogram of coltan sold for $40 – $50. Price fluctuations within and across borders have played a major role in coltan mining and trading. In 2016, a kilogram was traded at a peak price of …
Miners. Respiratory problems, especially in informal mining groups. Absence of mining equipment, Lack of regulation, Higher airborne PM2.5 (range 180–210 µg/m3) and VOC (range 1.4–2.3 µg/m3) levels were detected at coltan mining work stations as compared with control sites (19–44 and 0.5–0.8 µg/m3, respectively), and (Leon-Kabamba et ...
Artisanal re-processing of coltan mine tailings is frequently observed (e.g., Ntenge and Turimumahoro, 2010), attesting to the general economic relevance of tailings deposits in the region. ... In order to mitigate this deficit, the present study evaluated the extraction and trade of artisanal coltan in Africa's Great Lakes region, the world's ...
Uganda Pinpointing the Coltan Mines. 02.08.2003 00:00. Early this year Uganda's mines department and the country's geological survey service conducted studies in western Uganda to identify potential deposits of columbite-tantalite (coltan). Africa Mining Intelligence understands the survey led to the identification of seven prospects at ...
The DRC government has taken several steps to curtail the use of child labour in coltan mines. Laws have been passed, and the country has signed some of …
2. From coltan to capacitors The more valuable metal in the coltan ore is Tantalum (Ta), with demand having grown at around 5 per cent per annum since 1990. There was a spike in prices during the last phase of the dot com boom, which drew attention to coltan mining in eastern DRC (see Figure 1). Figure 1 14Average year-end prices for Tantalite
The history of coltan mining in the DRC is marred by conflict, political turmoil, and exploitation. The "African World War" in the late 1990s resulted from power struggles over the valuable ore, involving multiple African nations and rebel groups.
Child Labor. Small-scale mining in the DRC involves people of all ages, including children, obligated to work under harsh conditions. Of the 255,000 Congolese mining for cobalt, 40,000 are children, some as young as six years. Much of the work is informal small-scale mining in which laborers earn less than $2 per day while using their …
The Kenyan government has announced that significant deposits of coltan, a precious mineral used in the manufacture of phones, has been found in the country. …
In Colombia, miners complain that armed thugs demand mining taxes or fees to access jungle trails. Coltan is a source of global controversy. A big part of the world's supply already comes from conflict …
Here are six coltan facts you should know. 1. What is coltan? The mineral coltan is one of the resources that is playing an …
Tantalum, a metal used in smartphone and laptop batteries, is extracted from coltan ore. In 2019 40% of the world's coltan was produced in the Democratic Republic of Congo, according to official ...
Congolese and international law make the killing, capture or trade in gorillas illegal, but in this environment such laws are not currently enforceable. Thus, the forests are decimated by the mines, and wildlife are killed or traded illegally to support the mining activities. Gorillas face extinction in all the areas of Africa where they exist.
The Dark Side of Congo's Cobalt Rush. Cell phones and electric cars rely on the mineral, causing a boom in demand. Locals are hunting for this buried treasure—but are getting almost none of ...
Rebels that control the mining have often overrun forests in reserved national parks for mining. And the poverty and starvation from the war was caused many people to resort to poaching wildlife in the country. It is also worth noting that the path that coltan takes to get from Africa to the rest of the world is a highly complex one.
In Idaho, America's first, and only, cobalt mine in decades is opening. Cobalt is used in the manufacture of almost all lithium ion …
The global coltan market was valued at US$1,504.81 million in 2019. It is expected to reach US$1,933.92 million by the end of 2026, growing at a rate of 5.58% a year between 2021 and 2026. But ...
These events set into motion the dynamics of the Second Congo War, also termed Africa's 'world war' as it involved eight countries and over 20 armed groups. From 1998 to 2003, the DRC government, aided by troops from Angola, Zimbabwe, Chad and Namibia. Coltan from the DRC has also been smuggled to neighboring Rwanda and Uganda.
