Since 1996, bloody fighting has claimed the lives of over 5 million people in the Democratic Republic of Congo, especially in the Kivu province in the east. Brutal massacres, mass rape, arson, abductions and wholesale lootings continue to this day. This conflict has most likely cost more human lives than any other since World War II. One of the driving forces behind this ongoing tragedy is the unbridled greed for mineral resources, as this is a region rich in copper, uranium, cobalt, zinc, tungsten, tin, gold and diamonds.

Some 80% of the world's entire resources of coltan are found here. On account of its high heat resistance and conductivity, this metal is now an essential element in the production of computers, mobile phones, and space satellites. The control of these resources brings immense wealth and power, and human lives count for little or nothing in such a conflict.  Read More