Conflict-Free Cities

Conflict minerals have fueled and continue to sustain armed violence in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, linking them to the deadliest conflict globally since World War II. The four conflict minerals (gold, along with tin, tantalum, and tungsten, the “3Ts”) are not the only source of income to armed groups, but they are some of the most lucrative. The illegal exploitation of natural resources today is a manifestation of the mass corruption linked to violence that has marked successive governments in Kinshasa and the broader region since colonial times.

A growing consumer movement for conflict-free products including U.S. legislation (Section 1502 of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act), along with other reforms, has made it more difficult for armed groups to generate revenue in particular from the 3Ts, and played a role in Intel’s release in 2014 of the first-ever verifiably conflict-free product (a microprocessor) containing minerals sourced from Congo. Other companies leading efforts to break the links between electronics products and violence in Congo are Motorola Solutions, Apple, Philips, and HP.

Join the movement to support conflict-free sourcing by encouraging your city or state to pass legislation that pressures companies to invest responsibly in Congo’s minerals sector.

Contact Ayman Nagy to get started: [email protected]