The minerals inside your smartphone might be funding war crimes. That’s the thrust of a new investigation from Global Witness, which alleges that Amazon, Ericsson, and Sony are among global brands that “likely” sourced coltan from supply chains controlled by the M23 rebel group in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
M23, a militia accused of summary executions, widespread sexual violence, and torture, has controlled the Rubaya mines in North Kivu since late April 2024. Those mines produce roughly 15% of the world’s coltan and tantalum supply, the stuff that makes capacitors in your phone work. A typical smartphone contains about 40 milligrams of tantalum.
Following the supply chain
In this case, the route allegedly runs through Rwanda. According to the investigation, Luxembourg-based trading firm Traxys purchased 280 tonnes of coltan from Rwanda in 2024. A substantial portion of that coltan was allegedly sourced from M23-controlled areas in the DRC.
The M23 group generates an estimated $800,000 per month from taxation and trade activities tied to the Rubaya mines. That’s nearly $10 million a year flowing to a group that has been under US sanctions since 2013.
