Mining and the illicit trade in minerals have long been the source of social and environmental upheaval in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and coltan, a mineral essential to modern electronics, has become a particular focus of criminal networks. This study reveals a network of organised crime involved in the production and supply chain of coltan, and its connections to legitimate businesses in advanced economies. It raises awareness of the implications of this illicit trade and suggests multi-stakeholder interventions to prevent criminal networks from operating in the Great Lakes Region.
About the author
Oluwole Ojewale is the ENACT Regional Organised Crime Observatory (ROCO) coordinator for Central Africa, based in Dakar, Senegal. Before joining the ISS he headed the Research and Strategy Development Department at the CLEEN Foundation in Abuja, Nigeria.
Image: © Alamy
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