Conflict, violence, and instability continue to be a fact of life for the millions of people who live in Eastern Congo. I witnessed this violence first-hand while I was in Congo in 2006 and again in 2008.

Much of the fighting is for control of natural resources. Billions of dollars of diamonds, copper, gold, and other minerals are illegally exported from Congo each year, and rebel soldiers fight for control of this resource-rich land.

Over the past years, much of the conflict has been fueled by a mineral called Coltan. Coltan is used in cell phones, laptops, and other small electronic devices. Some estimate that 85% of the world’s coltan reserves are in Congo. And with the demand for electronics skyrocketing, Coltan mining has become a lucrative business for many rebel groups in Congo. ‘Conflict coltan’ is coltan that is illegally mined and exported - funding violence and keeping the people of Congo from using the sale and export of natural resources to improve their lives.

An Australian reporter recently traveled to Congo to tell the story of conflict coltan. It’s a compelling piece, which you can find here.

A bill was introduced in the US Congress last year that prohibits companies from importing conflict coltan, but this bill never became law. Please write to your representatives, and ask them to re-introduce the conflict coltan bill. It’s a simple way that we can advocate on behalf of those whose lives are being devastated by circumstances beyond their control.

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