Why it’s hard for Congo’s coltan miners to abide by the law
American rules against conflict minerals have unintended consequences
MARTIN IS A Congolese pastor with a sideline in coltan smuggling. “You can hide it in the petrol tank of a motorbike,” he says, “or in a secret compartment under a lorry.” He smuggles coltan into neighbouring Rwanda, where it costs about half as much to export the stuff. The border police know which vehicles are smugglers’, says Martin (not his real name), but they look away in exchange for a cut.
This article appeared in the Middle East & Africa section of the print edition under the headline “Dodging the “Obama law””
Middle East & Africa January 23rd 2021
- Why it’s hard for Congo’s coltan miners to abide by the law
- After two months of war, Tigray faces starvation
- How Qatar and Turkey came together
- Equatorial Guinea is still waiting for its IMF bail-out
- Disenchanted Iranians are turning to other faiths
- Despite democracy, Tunisians riot
- Egypt’s patisserie police crack down on depraved desserts
From the January 23rd 2021 edition
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