Conflict in the Congo

Conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has raged, in various forms, since the end of the 1994 Rwandan genocide. Violent conflict between the Kinshasa government, rebel organizations, and foreign armies has destabilized the region. Human rights abuses are widespread on all sides of the conflict, where rape, extrajudicial killings, and the destruction of civilian property take place with impunity. Minerals mined in the DRC’s eastern Kivu provinces provide much of the funds for the conflict’s key actors. The mining of tin, tungsten, tantalum--the so-called "three T's"--and gold in the DRC has developed into a $183 million industry, according to the Enough Project. Forced child labor frequently drives mining activities in the Kivu provinces.

Click here to download ENOUGH's Conflict-Free Campus Initiative's Resource Guide to learn more about the conflict in the DRC, the relationship between mineral extraction and violence in the Kivu provinces, and the key actors.

How to Take Action

The international community’s efforts to halt violence in the Kivu provinces have strengthened significantly over the past several months. However, a comprehensive resolution of the DRC conflict will require more substantial progress on a variety of fronts. Over the past several months, the international community has taken significant steps to reduce the impact of mineral extraction on violent conflict in the DRC. Last May, Stanford's STAND chapter conducted a campus campaign regarding mineral extraction and violent conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The campaign resulted in the university Board of Trustees' passage of a proxy voting guideline, which requires the university to vote "yes" on shareholder resolutions related to electronics companies' use of mineral resources from the Congo.

Last July’s financial reform bill included an amendment focused on the development of a Securities and Exchange Commission mineral resource audit system for electronics companies, which will enhance the accountability and transparency of the DRC minerals trade. The amendment represents a significant step towards resolving the relationship between mineral extraction and violence in the DRC. These initiatives, in addition to security sector, governance, justice, and accountability reforms in the DRC itself, will help resolve the conflict in the DRC and bring peace to the region.

Click here to sign up for the Conflict-Free Campus Initiative, and to learn more about opportunities for action on your university campus.

Over the past several months, hundreds of individuals have contacted the world's largest electronics companies, urging them to invest resources in the development of conflict-free technology. Individual voices continue to push such companies towards conflict-free product development, but larger actions must be taken to fully demonstrate the global demand for conflict-free electronics. College and university campuses present an important opportunity for activists to push for greater accountability in the supply chain of minerals from the DRC.

We must urge colleges and high schools to demonstrate to these companies their commitment to purchasing conflict-free products. Mobilize your university administration to issue a resolution declaring its interest in conflict-free products and play a more prominent role in enhancing the accountability of the mineral supply chain from the DRC.

Take a look at this Conflict-Free Campus advocacy guide to begin your campus campaign and then sign up for the Conflict-Free Campus Initiative by clicking here!