Editor,

On July, 21 this year, the United Sates passed a law requiring that American companies who buy cassiterite, wolframtie, coltan and gold from DRC and nine adjoining countries must certify that their purchases don’t support armed groups in the region.

We are tired of wars and I think this law needs our support since it looks like the best move to stop the escalation of rebellion in the region. The legislation requires companies to prove that materials extracted from DRC and nine neighbours, are not linked to conflict.

If such a requirement is met, I believe the military capabilities of fighting militias like FDLR will significantly be reduced.

Rwanda is already pushing to introduce a scheme that will help buyers certify the origin, supply chain of tin and other ores to ensure that they are not from conflict zones of the region. 

There is no doubt that  illicit trading of tin ore and other minerals has continued to fuel fighting in Eastern Congo that has left millions dead since the mid-1990s.

However, regional countries must sensitize mining companies because many of them seem not to be complaining about the law per se but they think the process will be too expensive. They don’t have any idea how much it will cost to certify their minerals.

Innocent Karuhanga
Cyangugu