MINING IN GORILLA FORESTS – COLTAN, CASSITERITE, DIAMONDS, GOLD, COBALT AND URANIUM

Mining camps impact gorillas mainly through logging activities and through bushmeat hunting to supply workers, sometimes even slaves, with food. An NGO, Global Witness, has accused several companies, such as THAISARCO, the world’s fifth- largest tin-producing company, owned by British metals giant, AMC, for buying minerals from the conflict zone. THAISAR- CO’s main supplier, Congo-based Panju, sells cassiterite and coltan from mines controlled by the FDLR, according to Global Witness. Another company is the UK-based Afrimex, already found by the British government in 2008 to be in breach of the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises for buying from suppliers who made payments to a rebel group.

Mining the forest

Forest

Agricultural or non-forest land Known gold deposit Virunga National Park

Deforestation monitored with satellites between 2000 to 2007

Source: IES, Mining, forest change and conflict in the Kivus, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, 2008.

Mabana Kenia

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO

UGANDA

Luberu Kibera

Maperanza Kakova

Lebla Beni Teturi

RWANDA

10 Km

Figure 10: Mining and deforestation.

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Butembo