The horror of cobalt mining in DR Congo | The Listening Post
The horror of cobalt mining in DR Congo | The Listening Post
Cobalt is one of the most in-demand minerals in the world today. It’s used in the batteries of smartphones, laptops and electric cars.
Most of the global supply of cobalt comes from the Democratic Republic of Congo, either through big industrial mines or the unregulated sector known as ‘artisanal’ mines.
But covering cobalt extraction in…
source
Lawsuits should follow
This is high time to call for tech companies to take responsibility and clean their supply chain. Someone's luxury can not be at the cost of another person's life.
This is the reason tech companies shouldn’t be allowed to have subsidiaries in Africa. They don’t care about employees but land grabbing
Wow, that’s amazing resource but the problem the rich become more greedy blood money
I am here in DRC from the last 20 years, situation here far worse than you described
looking at the leadership of that country its a dam shame.
All tech and ev companies need to bring to justice
Child labor… it is something that occurs in poor countries where if they don't work they wont eat. So taking away their work will kill them of hunger. You want poor people to starve of hunger? Then take away their work and impede their children from working as-well. The mining is dangerous, but it is terminal to take away their income that they use to buy food with.
This blame game needs to stop targeting western tech companies but rather targeting the Congo President Félix Tshisekedi who’s corrupt taking bribes living in luxury enslaved his own people…
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NO IPHONE IS WORTH SOMEONES LIFE
It is also national governments that benefit from Cobalt mining in the Congo. When you buy a new smartphone, laptop computer, etc you pay GST or VAT irrespective of sales tax to some government body. So child mined cobalt that came from the Congo in a finished product could be funding your schools, hospitals and so on. Imagine that.
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Thank you for this important information.
Michael Ohlenschläger
Not all Europeans are bad. But why didn't they fund projects to utilise cobalt rather than cheap schools. IMF doesn't fund wealth creation theyvfund poverty .
I feel the solution to this problem is the government of D.R.C. not Elon Musk sharing his wealth
19 minutes video and not a single moment they mentionned the USELESS AND CORRUPT DRC GOVERNMENT ? You exposed the Zimbabwean gov last year,why aren't you exposing the gov of the DRC ?You're a bunch of corrupt journalists
1- Tech giants need these resources
2- They lobby(its called bribing politicians in other parts of world) in their countries
3- Those politicians put pressure on foreign governments(like Congo), making them use their corporations and military to exploit local resources and population. But instead of helping people and lifting them out of poverty, these Tech Giants and their contractors simply throw a little bone to these people's politicians and rulers.
4- World gets cheap products, western politicians get more bribes, Tech Giants make more profits, Rulers and politicians of those poor African countries get richer. Meanwhile their population starves, dies of disease and hunger, gets kicked out of their ancestors place and face so many other atrocities which we never hear about *BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT WHITE PEOPLE WITH BLUE EYES*.
All this is on hands of Kinshasa government very corrupted and greedy
this needs to reach the eyes of many just so they get a glimpse of the injustices the people of Congo face
One thing I know is we the young people will unite Africa and control our resources, the old leaders have failed us
I think Wazalendo should take the fight to the global multinationals mining companies, do whatever it takes to kick them out of the Congo, I think Congolese can farm their land and be better off without mining, THAT"S FOR SURE!!! until they have good and strong institutions they shouldnt give licences to mining companies.
The only way companies like apple can have the valuations they have is because of these children working getting paid dollar a bag of radioactive cobalt.. American justice unlike in Hollywood movies…
The question who is behind theses dectators!????
The United Nations and international humanitarian organizations must put pressure on the Congolese government and western companies to stop the exploitation of people in mines and child labor. Also it is shameful that western tech companies gain billion of dollars from their products using Congo's minerals and not helping the exploited people in Congo ?
I don't want to be complicit & have't bought new electronics since 2016
Al Jeezera has taken over in pursuing real journalism unlike cnn or bbc.
Congolese government just like any other government (Kenyan government in particular) is killing its people. Too bad!
Finally an interesting story from
Aj instead of the usual anti israel propaganda.
The state of Congo should negotiate with rebels, they need leaders with vision.
Even though we all sympathise with this situation, the truth is big tech is here to stay and will only get bigger. Telling people to buy less phones or do less upgrades will do as much as telling people to eat healthy. Its feel good momentary activism. The truth is that the demand is an issue, but as with slavery, its also about the supply. Who is the government that should be regulating work conditions and looking after the people. Where are they?
The tech companies profit more than the Congo! Thats because Africa has rulers who are western puppets.
Africa the richest land with the poorest people. It is so painful
So is this a problem for the Congolese people and their ability to self advocate, or is this a problem for us
I am from Lagos, Nigeria.
It is senseless to blame the end-users including the big techs or those mining companies "exploiting" our greed – which we enabled by ourselves – to get what they need in the race for increased demands, leaving the the African ruling class that keeps inviting foreigners for quick greedy wins for their own greedy benefit that is even highly disproportionate to the amount earned by the poorly managed and illegal African miners enabled by the same Africans.
It is very shameful and we Africans need to have a very hard talk. We cant continue blame everyone except us for our woes.
This video is a reminder that there is no ethical consumption under capitalism.
The Biggest Amount of Corrruption is Present in the Mining Sector and The People Paying The Heaviest Price Is The Congolesse
The DRC Is a Shameful Example of a Lack of Acountability on the Parts of All Parties
Thankyou an Excellent Piece and For Keeping The Story Of The DRC In The Publics View.
Thank you so much for sharing this knowledge with us, it's a really heart breaking thing to see our friendly and compassionate neighbours going through tkis horrific reality of their lives. Can you cover about us too? 🇹🇿
Nosy little journalist
why dont those companies using latest infrastructure and good living conditions?
The problem is that Africa lacks leaders
PPE, safety equipments & procedures for dangerous industries in less privileged countries
I don't understand why the resources of Congo are sold to Western countries because, Congo is under sanction by the USA . So how do you sanction a country but still extract its resources.
Imagine how much west did propaganda to steal these minings md minerals sources. They even funded some terrorists to bring their own puppet government in those countries. And when a government takes a step against western interests then they remove that government
A country which really should be one of the richest in the world with a high quality of life index. Natural resources have been more of a curse than a blessing for DRC.
Africa must unite
Unite Africa