Instead of being the engine for prosperity, the mining and trade in natural resources such as coltan, gold and tin are fuelling the conflict in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Government troops, local militias, and rebel movements such as Nkunda’s CNDP are making huge profits with the trade in natural resources. None of the armed groups has any interest in giving up the profitable business of war.They need quick cash to top up their salaries and to buy weapons and munitions to continue the fighting. The people of the Kivu provinces is the victim of this mining business; armed groups occupy mining areas forcing local miners at gunpoint to either leave the mine of pay high taxes. Another profitable activity is controlling the trade routes into neighboring countries Rwanda and Uganda exacting `costum duties` with the use of force. The local population is left with no option but to escape the violence and seek refuge in the cities.
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