Your mobile [aka cell] funding war in the Congo?

Women in the Congo live under the threat of rape by armed gangs who take over mines and sell precious metals to electronics firms

From The Telegraph [UK]:

"Insurgents in the central African state are earning up to £118 million every year by selling four so-called “blood minerals” that are vital in making electronic goods.

Warlords take over the mineral mines by systematically raping women and murdering men, and now a pressure group is asking British consumers to sign a petition demanding a ban on the use of metals sourced from Congo."

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"The worldwide demand for gold, tantalum, tungsten and tin for use in mobiles, laptops, MP3 players and games consoles is driving up the price for the metals and making them a highly-prized commodity for rebels in mineral-rich Congo.

Rape is used by the rebels to drive out mine owners because, in the words of Amnesty International, "rape is cheaper than bullets".

Almost 5.5 million people are estimated to have been killed since the beginning of the conflict in 1998."

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Mahler's Prodigal Son

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