Many of us are unaware about the link of our gadgets with child labour, slavery, and worst of all, their deaths. The reason why this is so, is the unethical mining and use of tantalum and cobalt from the Democratic Republic of Congo. About 60% of the world’s cobalt is mined in Congo while 80% of total coltan ore is also supplied from there. These ores are then sold majorly to big firms for refining and they, in turn, provide these metals to tech companies.
How are they mined?
Despite the great industrial value and large scale production of these products, the mining is being done using old customs and techniques. Children and teenagers are forced to dig underground tunnels with handpicks and are made to go inside these tunnels to obtain coltan and cobalt ores. Without any protective kit and other essential equipment, these mines become exceptionally dangerous for them. Many children have died during the course of mining, often because of landsliding and other times due to explosions. A concerningly large amount of children also end up suffering serious injuries.
The list of miseries of these Congolese miners does not end here. Long term exposure to metals like cobalt and tantalum is damaging their DNA. Birth defects and respiratory issues are also suspected. In addition to this, rape culture is common and forced marriages are imposed on them by the control groups, making their lives more devastating. Disappointingly, their daily wages are so low ($2) that oftentimes, they cannot even afford to eat everyday and often have to work without proper meals.
There are thousands of unofficial, unregulated, unmonitored mines where men, women and children work in what can only be described as slave conditions. Even the water that they drink is contaminated due to toxins from the mines.
Why do these metals matter?
Coltan ore is refined to obtain tantalum which has a high resistance to heat and a great charge-storing capacity. This makes it a beneficial addition to the modern-day gadgets and other equipment. Similarly, cobalt is used in lithium-ion batteries, which are commonly found in portable electronics and electric vehicles, making it a significant metal to mine. These batteries are used in devices which are found in our everyday lives including laptops, mobiles, PCs, microwave ovens and digital cameras. It is expected that in the next few decades, the demand of these metals will be doubled.
What is the international community doing?
A significant move in this regard was observed last December when a case was filed by International Rights Advocate on behalf of the families related to the 14 children who died while mining. The case named the UK-based mining company ‘Glencore’ and Chinese firm ‘Zhejiang Huayou Cobalt’ for helping and aiding illegal mining and child slavery. It has also named leading tech companies such as Google, Dell, Tesla, Apple and Microsoft as profit holders. All eyes now rest on the progress of this case. Sooner or later, the perpetrators of these injustices will be held accountable and until they are, it is our duty to raise our voices so that more children do not have to die at such a young age due to our ignorance.
References
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coltan
https://news.sky.com/story/meet-dorsen-8-who-mines-cobalt-to-make-your-smartphone-work-10784120
