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 the DRC is notoriously difficult which makes it hard to know what conditions the miners are working under.

In limited news coverage, we hear stories of child labour, hazardous mines and exploitation. But the mining and big tech companies that profit from these supply chains contest the allegations.

The Listening Post’s Nicholas Muirhead went to the DRC to try and gain access to the mines and see for himself what the story is.

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[allykhan]

Al Jeezera has taken over in pursuing real journalism unlike cnn or bbc.

[refigee]

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.

[myrtillesm]

Dear Lord, what an inhumane world we live in, cash over human beings, monster leaders abusing with impunity of human beings on our samll planet. What a evil legacy. 😢😢😢😢😢😢

[muhamudabdille]

Africa the richest land with the poorest people. It is so painful

[Maria-EU]

People need to stop looking the other way and hold themselves accountable for their consumer behavior and stop supporting these companies. Human rights belong to everyone 🇨🇩 and no iPhone is more important than someone else's life.

[amazonbronce]

One thing I know is we the young people will unite Africa and control our resources, the old leaders have failed us

[atrution]

Tech companies aware of this, still using planned obsolescence, and resisting efforts to have recycling research responsibility put on them.

[FlyingSpaghettiMonster]

The many Exploited for the benefit of the few.
Good documentary.

[idrisakano]

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.

[adne]

*DRC🇨🇩 in congo river have border disputes with Republic Congo.*
make border agreement & keep peace!

[blobs]

This video is a reminder that there is no ethical consumption under capitalism.

[dimrous]

That's one of the main reasons i don't have a cell phone, no laptop, no electric car and and my PC dates back to 2005,

[aboutMySanity]

The problem is that industry is allowed to take over all the land and waters on earth rendering it unliveable!

[ruthiecarole]

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.

[victor-suxh]

this needs to reach the eyes of many just so they get a glimpse of the injustices the people of Congo face

[Justanotherviewer..-lsfj]

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? 🇹🇿

[samsungreviewer]

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 ?

[darkangel]

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.

[qureshiabdul]

I am here in DRC from the last 20 years, situation here far worse than you described

[arnoldajax]

So sad to see a horrible history repeating itself all over again the 21st century.