Conflict Minerals, Inc.: War, Profit and White Saviourism in Eastern Congo

by Christopher N Vogel

In the twenty-first century, the relationship between violent conflict and natural resources has become a matter of intense public and academic debate. As a result of fervent activism and international campaigning, the flagship case of "conflict minerals" has captured global attention. This term groups together the artisanal tin, tantalum (coltan), tungsten and gold originating from war zones in Central Africa.

Known as "digital minerals" for their use in high-end technology, their exploitation and trade has been singled out in numerous media and United Nations reports as a key driver of violence, provoking an unprecedented popular outcry and prompting transnational efforts to promote 'conflict-free', ethical mining. Focusing on the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, Conflict Minerals, Inc. is the first comprehensive analysis of this phenomenon.

Based on meticulous investigation and long-term fieldwork, this book analyses why the campaign against "unethical" mining went awry, and radically disrupted eastern Congo's political economy. It dissects the evolution of the conflict minerals paradigm, the policy responses it triggered and their impact on artisanal miners. Vogel demonstrates how Western advocacy and policy have relied on colonial frames to drive change, and how White Saviourism perpetuates structural violence and inequality across global supply and value chains.

Genres: Nonfiction, Africa, History, Economics

224 pages, Paperback

Published August 1, 2022

Reviews

[angie]

a must read for any activist against extraction of coltan in the drc, tbh. this book WILL challenge the western, oriental, way you speak about this issue.

[Ván Bálint · Rating 4 out of 5]

I learned a lot about the complicated dynamics of authority and economy of mining in Eastern Congo from this book! At times it was slower to read due to the terminology used by the author, with which I was not so familiar.

[Iris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Disappointing. 2.5 stars rounded up. Reads like the paper of an undergrad who just read Said for the first time and who wants to prove they've done the readings (but they haven't).

[Clare · Rating 4 out of 5]

Five star content- it is an awesome feeling to get your mind changed about an idea. But I rate Conflict Minerals, Inc. four stars because it is weighed down, as academic writing most often is, by just that- academic writing.

Vogel explores how modern day certification schemes for “conflict- free” minerals, particularly the 3 t’s or “digital minerals,” replicate colonial frames and do more socio-economic harm than good. Most clearly, Vogel reminds us that when developing these do-gooder, market- based solutions in the West, we never ask those impacted on the ground, well, anything at all.