Global Witness Says Brands Bought M23-Linked Coltan From Mines Holding 15% of Global Supply
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Jun 10
Global Witness Says Brands Bought M23-Linked Coltan From Mines Holding 15% of Global Supply
3 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Jun 10
Summary
A year-long Global Witness investigation said Amazon, Ericsson, Sony and other major brands likely and unknowingly sourced coltan tied to M23-controlled mines in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Rubaya — a North Kivu site holding about 15% of global coltan — was seized by M23 two years ago, and the UN estimates the militia now collects nearly £600,000 a month in taxes there.
Global Witness said smugglers move the mineral into Rwanda, where five of the seven biggest exporters allegedly buy conflict coltan before it is sold via middlemen to smelters in China and Kazakhstan.
The report said traceability systems such as Itsci and the Responsible Minerals Initiative failed to keep conflict coltan out of supply chains, prompting calls for sanctions and a halt to Rwandan coltan purchases unless origins are directly verified.
Amazon said it is seeking extra due diligence from suppliers tied to the named smelters, while Ericsson said it is reviewing the allegations and Vodafone said it relies on third-party certification schemes.
With DRC's conflict mines now an Ebola hotspot, are corporate 'responsible sourcing' pledges a dangerous illusion?
As militias fund war with tech minerals, have US sanctions and industry watchdogs proven completely ineffective in the DRC?
Conflict Minerals in Your Tech: The Deadly Supply Chain Behind 15% of the World’s Coltan from Rubaya, DRC
Overview
In early 2026, a major investigation by Global Witness exposed the severe human cost hidden in the global technology supply chain, especially around conflict minerals. The report highlighted how everyday tech relies on minerals extracted under conditions of violence and exploitation, with the Rubaya mining complex in the Democratic Republic of Congo standing out due to its vast coltan reserves. This site, recently offered to the United States in a new minerals deal, became the scene of a deadly landslide, underscoring the dangerous and unstable conditions faced by miners. The exposé revealed deep links between mineral extraction, human suffering, and global technology production.