Cobalt and Copper Mining in DR Congo 'Wrecking Lives' - Amnesty

The expansion of industrial-scale cobalt and copper mines in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has led to the forced eviction of entire communities and grievous human rights abuses, including sexual assault, arson and beatings, Amnesty International reports. Growing demand for so-called clean energy technologies has created a corresponding demand for certain metals, including copper and cobalt which are essential for making most lithium-ion batteries used to power a wide range of devices like electric cars and mobile phones. The DR Congo has the world's largest reserves of cobalt, and the seventh-largest reserves of copper. Demand for cobalt has tripled since 2010 and is expected to reach 222,000 tonnes by 2025. Since the reopening of a vast open-pit copper and cobalt mine in 2015, long-established communities have been destroyed in the heart of the city of Kolwezi. The project is operated by Compagnie Minière de Musonoie Global SAS (COMMUS), a joint venture between Chinese company Zijin Mining Group Ltd and the DRC's state mining company Générale des Carrières et des Mines SA (Gécamines). People who were evicted said the compensation offered by COMMUS was not enough for them to be able to buy an equivalent standard of home. As a result, many have suffered a significant fall in their standard of living.