The Role of Tech in the Congo’s Silent Genocide
The tech world runs on Coltan and Cobalt, and Congolese people should not have to pay that price.
For years, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has been facing one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world, with a recent spike in violence in 2023. In particular, the eastern part of the country is facing a severe situation, marked by extensive displacement and distress among local communities due to conflicts involving armed groups.
So far, over 6 million people have been killed, over 5 million displaced, and over 2000 homes have been destroyed.
But why the Congo?
Although this is caused by multiple factors, there is a major root to this exploitation — the DRC is home to almost 1100 precious minerals and the largest reserve of Cobalt and Coltan. These minerals are vital to the aerospace, military, automotive, electronics, and tech industries of the West.
Put simply, the devices you spend hours scrolling on — your laptop and phone — and likely what you are currently reading this blog post on, contain the materials that Congolese people are being exploited for by major tech companies and Western governments.
Brief History + What’s Happening Today
Since the 1885 Belgian colonization of the Congo, Congolese people have suffered immensely at the hands of violence and systemic exploitation by western nations. The leader of Belgium at the time, King Leopald II, ruled the Congo as his personal dominion, naming it “ the Congo Free State”. He reaped its natural resources of ivory and rubber, killing and enslaving many citizens along the way.
After years of colonization, oppression, and enslavement, the Congo gained independence from Belgium in 1960. Unfortunately, they are currently facing the horrors of being trafficked, murdered, displaced, and forced to work for little to no money by extremist militant groups.
But what even do extremist militant groups want with Congolese people?
Well, militant groups are encouraged by money from western governments and corporations to provide materials that are mainly found in the Congo, to be used to manufacture technological devices. This is done at the expense of the safety, well-being, and lives of the Congolese people.
The Materials
With the Congo housing 1100 precious minerals, many of which are used for technological advancement, they are a strategic target of the West.
Coltan
Over 64% of the world’s reserves of Coltan is found in the Congo. Refined Coltan is a heat-resistant powder that holds a high electric charge. This makes Coltan vital in creating devices that store energy or capacitors, often used in small electronic devices.
Uses of Coltan:
- Laptop computers
- Cellular phones
- Jet engines
- Rockets
- Digital still cameras
- Game consoles
- Video cameras
Cobalt
Over 80% of the world’s reserve of Cobalt is found in the Congo, and is one of its largest exports, totaling $4,440,000,000 ($4.44 billion). It is a metal used in numerous commercial, industrial, and military applications, many of which are critical.
Uses of Cobalt:
- Airbags in vehicles
- Dyes and pigments
- Magnets
- Steel-belted radial tires
- Corrosion and wear-resistant alloys
Modern Day Slavery
As mentioned, the Congo’s Cobalt totals $4,440,000,000 ($4.44 billion) in exports. Yet, the average income for a Congolese person is $449 a year — not even half of the price of an iPhone.
Coltan is mined by hand in the Congo, resembling the techniques employed during the 1800s gold rush in California. Men work in teams to create basins in streams by removing the surface mud to access the underlying Coltan. Subsequently, they agitate the water in large tubs, causing the heavier Coltan ore to settle at the bottom.
Men, women, and children are enslaved to mine Coltan and Cobalt. Over 50,000 children are driven by extreme poverty to work in mining sites for less than two dollars a day, for backbreaking and dangerous work. Many of them are killed in tunnel collapses while others are paralyzed or suffer life-altering injuries from accidents.
Accountability
Five of the world’s largest tech companies are being sued over the deaths and injuries of Congolese children mining for Cobalt.
Apple, Dell, Google, Microsoft, and Tesla were all named in the federal class-action lawsuit filed in 2019, in Washington, D.C. It stated that the companies were “knowingly benefiting from and aiding and abetting the cruel and brutal use of young children in the Democratic Republic of the Congo to mine Cobalt,” which is found in every lithium-ion battery used to recharge the electronic devices that these five American companies manufacture.
Our Role
While governments and those in power remain complicit, it’s important for us to show up for the Congolese people by:
- Educating ourselves
- Advocating for their humanitarian aid
- Signing petitions
- Donating to reputable organizations
However, the most effective way we can show up for them is by putting a pause on our consumption of electronics and technology, which all use the materials that people in the Congo are being enslaved to produce.
It is understandable that today’s world heavily depends on computers for daily tasks. However, is it really necessary to constantly upgrade to the latest models of our electronic devices? Is it ethically and morally responsible of us to contribute to a genocide because of our habit of over consumption?
Author: Laila El attar
