Channel 4 News kicked off it’s News from Africa season – ahead of the G8 summit next week – with a shocking article from Jonathan Miller and Elizabeth Jones on the Congo Tin Mines. A horrific report (A textual version is available here), showing the deplorable conditions in which cassiterite (a tin ore) is mined at Bisiye. They were the first westerners in years to reach the mines, and painted a harrowing picture of exploitation, and the horrors of civil war.
The Army watches on (hiding their uniforms when the journalists appeared on the scene) as people mine this precious metal, used in the electronics industry as a replacement of lead. As miners struggle to bring the ore to the surface, the Army steals the premium minerals recovered. Taking what’s left, many others labouriously carry the tin – up to 50kg at a time – over miles of thick forest, to the local airport. A journey that took the unencumbered journalists two days. At best, these labourers may make a little money, at worst they are murdered by soldiers who are exploiting their efforts. The money taken out by the armies funds weapon purchases that further the civil war.
The report attempted to interview a western businessman involved. Despite an interview (off camera), it seems friends in high places resulted in the local security forces appearing, and arresting the journalists, later to be released without charge. Clearly friends in high places were brought to bear. The fact that the trade in cassiterite is a massively profitable feature on the commodities markets in London clearly ensures money is no object.
The result of this trade feeds the global electronics industry. No doubt as I type this, and you read this, we are both using machines that were created using ore mined in such a way. The pictures from the article illustrate the deplorable horror of this particular industry.
Channel 4 have – as usual – done an excellent journalist job in highlighting a truly atrocious trade. Hopefully the Make Poverty History agenda can help pressurise the G8 to work to address the issues that lead to such abuses, and human exploitation.
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Tags: Live8 Make Poverty History
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December 7th, 2008 at 7:35 pm
When will the politians of the world finally stop talking and start taking some serious action in order to make an end to this cruelty? It’s also time for a change in that region!
http://ginovandewalle.com/the-worlds-need-to-help-eastern-congo-now-this-cruelty-must-stop/