(3 Minutes Read)
Many groups are accused of carrying out mass killings, rapes, and other human rights violations. The violence has displaced about 7 million people, many beyond the reach of aid
A rebel group with alleged links to Rwanda this week seized Rubaya, a mining town in eastern Congo known for producing a key mineral used in smartphones, the group said Thursday in a statement.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the M23 rebel group said the town was liberated. The Congolese army declined to comment on the situation.
The decades-long conflict in eastern Congo has produced one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, with over 100 armed groups fighting for control of the mineral-rich area near the border with Rwanda. Many groups are accused of carrying out mass killings, rapes, and other human rights violations. The violence has displaced about 7 million people, many beyond the reach of aid.
The town of Rubaya holds deposits of tantalum, which is extracted from coltan, a key component in the production of smartphones. It is among the minerals that were named earlier this month in a letter from Congo’s government questioning Apple about the tech company’s knowledge of “blood minerals” being smuggled into its supply chain.
Read Also:
https://trendsnafrica.com/drc-looks-beyond-mining-to-pep-up-its-economy/
Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi alleges Rwanda is destabilizing Congo by backing the M23 rebels. U.N. experts, along with the U.S. State Department, have also accused Rwanda of backing the rebels. Rwanda denies the claims.
