Blood Minerals: How Conflict Fuels Human Suffering in Eastern Congo

“Mining is at the heart of this war,” says Rafto Laureate 2008, Bishop Bulambo Lembelembe Josué, leading the local NGO ICRPD. “But for local communities, it’s a tragedy. Every day, families are forced to flee as militias fight over the riches beneath their feet.”

According to ICPRDs report, Rwanda and Uganda have become major players in this high-stakes game, with allegations of direct and indirect support for the rebels. The findings show Rwanda’s gold exports surged by 43% last year, despite the country having virtually no domestic gold production.

Eastern Congo is home to some of the world’s richest deposits of tantalum, tin, tungsten, and gold. These are the so-called “3TG” minerals essential to the global electronics industry. Yet instead of prosperity, these resources often mean violence, displacement, and economic exploitation.

Coltan from Rubaya, gold from Shabunda all find their way into the global supply chain. They pass through the hands of militias and armed groups who use the profits to buy more weapons. It’s a cycle of violence that never ends.

ICPRD and the Rafto Foundation call for urgent action. “We need the international community to do more than just talk,” Lembelembe Josué insists. “Targeted sanctions against key figures in Rwanda and DRC are essential.

He also urges companies sourcing minerals from the region to respect transparency standards, such as the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI). “The people in mining communities need to see the benefits,” Lembelembe Josué says. “Not just the scars.”

The Rafto Foundation stands in solidarity with local communities and human rights defenders like Lembelembe Josué and his colleagues in ICORD.