The United Nations will release a report later this week detailing the continued illegal smuggling of gold from the Democratic Republic of Congo through Uganda. The BBC reports:
Melissa Engle/MCC
“the profits of this trade run into several millions of US dollars, which goes back to the armed groups in charge of the illicit trade…The UN Security Council has had an arms embargo in place in DR Congo for six years following the peace accord between the government and armed groups.”
In a cruel twist of irony, Congo’s greatest potential for promoting development has become a lethal liability. Tin, tantalum, tungsten and gold are the primary minerals illegally traded by armed groups, earning them $144 million each year.
After the minerals are sold, they are transported through neighboring countries. From there the minerals are shipped to various parts of East Asia, where they are processed into metals. Corporations purchase these metals and use them to produce electronic devices such as computers and cell phones. The United States is one of the largest consumers for these products.
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