World reliance on technological devices has contributed to Congo genocide

In the Democratic Republic of Congo, home to around 80 million people, over 7 million Congolese have been displaced due to an increase in violence erupting in the nation since the end of this year. Not only have the Congolese been stripped of basic human necessities like shelter and proper health care, but women and children are also regularly assaulted, harassed, kidnapped and raped by soldiers. 

While the violence itself is fueled by many political reasons including rising conflict even after the Second Congo War ended in 2001, exploitative mining has only exacerbated the DRC’s humanitarian crisis. Its eastern region is rich in minerals like coltan — of which it holds 64% of the world’s supply — needed for nearly every conceivable technology, from cellphones to automotive electronics. 

Coltan profits are a big source of revenue for technology-based companies all over the world such as Apple, Samsung, Dell, Sony and Tesla. As a result, rebel groups in neighboring nations like Rwanda and Uganda have moved to exploit coltan mines — and in the process, allow child miners to suffer abhorrent work conditions. 

While it may be easy for someone reading about the genocide online to swipe past such disturbing news, the uncomfortable truth is this ongoing crisis is directly tied to the devices we use to consume media. As the tech boom adds fuel to the flames, we as consumers, and the tech companies we financially support, are complicit in contributing to the DRC’s unstable state. 

The demand for coltan has especially been high in China, a leading global manufacturer of technological devices. In 2019, Apple, Samsung and Sony used coltan-based batteries from the Congo. Unfortunately, despite tech companies being fully aware of what’s happening in the DRC, many continue to ignore the brutal consequences of their actions. These companies need to be consistently sending officials to oversee the mining process to ensure no lives are put at risk and children aren’t being used to do the work. Given the immense success of these technology corporations, they have more than enough money to have people oversee this process. 

Through our greed for technology, we are ignoring the blatant Western exploitation of poorer countries. As consumers, we need to be emailing our representatives to speak on the situation in the Congo, sign petitions and send urgent letters to demand tech companies to do the right thing. The measures taken by wealthy countries like the U.S. and Britain to obtain coltan emphasize how no tech company is fully ethical. 

With the emergence of International Rights Laws that called for greater corporate responsibility for the inhumanity directed toward the Congolese, Apple’s steps to retrieving coltan are now being carried out with more ethical measures, like using third-party audits to supervise that the mineral is retrieved safely, but there is still a long way to go to alleviate the crisis in the DRC.

Though rare, there are charities dedicated to alleviating the distress of the DRC. Non-profit organizations like “Friends of the Congo” have been donating their proceeds to providing food and housing for the displaced and rescuing children from the coltan mines, but overall, not much money has been raised for the Congolese — at least, not enough to make a substantial difference. We can take advantage of our access to resources to donate through charities like this one. 

By not speaking up to drive change in the exploitation of the Congolese, we are simply allowing history of Western exploitation to repeat itself. This kind of modern imperialism mimics what we’ve seen throughout history — Western imperialism forced natives of colonized countries to farm tobacco and cotton with little to no pay. 

By donating to charitable organizations, we can better support the Congolese citizens who currently oppose the unwarranted change in their country — who often resort to desperate measures. A catastrophic example of this occurred on Nov. 15, when a Congolese man set himself on fire, holding a sign reading “Stop the Genocide in Congo.” The self-mutilation of this unidentified man exemplifies what someone silently suffering must do to catch the attention of the Western media.

Our lack of awareness regarding the horrific situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo cannot be tolerated. Tech companies need to take more action to ensure the resources used to power their devices are sourced ethically, without putting any more lives there at further risk.