By AIDA EL-HAJJAR, Age 15
Our smartphones, computers and electronic vehicles seem necessary in our modern world. However, if we look behind the curtain at the mining of metals used to make our devices, the truth isn’t as pretty. Egregious human rights violations are common in the industrial cobalt and copper mining operations in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), according to the Associated Press. The DRC has the world’s largest reserves of cobalt, a grayish-white metal used to make many types of electronics and vehicles we use daily.
Cobalt mining in DRC is a toxic and dangerous practice for the workers involved, often due to the lack of professional equipment. The U.S. Department of Labor estimates that 25,000 children are working in cobalt mines in the DRC, with some sent down in flip-flops to reach the metals.
In addition, communities surrounding the cobalt mines are also impacted and may be forcefully evicted due to the mining, according to Amnesty International. One affected area is the town of Kolwezi, where communities have been uprooted since the reopening of a large-scale copper and cobalt mine in 2015. Former resident Cécile Isaka described to Amnesty International how the blasting of cobalt mines caused cracks in her house. With no other option, she had to accept inadequate compensation from the company and leave. Another resident recalls, “I had a large house, with electricity, water. … Now, I have a small house that was all I could afford with the compensation … we have to drink water from wells … almost no electricity.”
Recently, the government of the DRC accused Apple of using minerals gained from illegal exploitation in the country for their tech products. DRC lawyers said in a formal notice to Apple that Macs, iPhones and other Apple products are “tainted by the blood of the Congolese people.”
As demand for devices continues to increase, the world must find a way to stop the human rights violations that are currently happening and figure out a sustainable option for our future. Agnès Callamard, secretary general of Amnesty International, stated, “The forced evictions taking place as companies seek to expand industrial-scale copper and cobalt mining projects are wrecking lives and must stop now.”
Exploitation: taking advantage of someone or something for one’s own benefit
