Don't Let Consumer Electronics Fuel the Congo Conflict
The war raging in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has killed 5.4 million people since 1998. In fact, it's the deadliest conflict since World War II. And the fuel for this fighting is the mineral wealth of the Congo, namely tin, tantalite, tungsten and gold, which are used in electronic devices such as cell phones and laptops.
That's right -- the illicit trade in minerals that go into our electronics is generating $185 million in annual profits for the armed groups responsible for the continuing murder and rape in the Congo.
That's why we need the Congo Conflict Minerals Act of 2009 (S.891). The bill would go a long way to neutralizing one of the key drivers of the conflict and ensuring American consumers that their electronics purchases are not financing crimes against humanity.
Contact the Senate and tell them you support the Congo Conflict Minerals Act of 2009.
I would like to urge you to support the Congo Conflict Minerals Act of 2009 (S. 891).
The war in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has killed 5.4 million people since 1998. In fact, it's the deadliest conflict since World War II. And a key economic driver of the conflict is the trade in minerals that go into our electronics products, such as cell phones and digital cameras. This trade in minerals generates $185 million in annual profits for the armed groups responsible for the continuing violence and atrocities.
The Congo Conflict Minerals Act of 2009 would break the link between American consumer dollars and the human rights violations in the Congo. The bill provides authority and direction for the United States government to help ensure that the mineral trade stops contributing to human rights violations, including killings of unarmed civilians and sexual violence, while at the same time developing mechanisms to allow the Congolese people to benefit from these resources.
[Your comments]
We need S. 891 to neutralize one of the key drivers of the conflict in the Congo and ensure that American consumers are not financing crimes against humanity with their electronics purchases.
Thank you for your time.
