Major Opportunity for Congo

Dear Friend,

In the last month we have seen the crisis in eastern Congo once again make headline
news, reminding us of the deep human tragedy that characterizes this ongoing conflict.

Reported attacks on communities in the Walikale mining region including the systematic rape and
torture of over 150 women, in a few short days raised serious questions about the effectiveness
of UN Peacekeeper’s ability to protect civilians in volatile mining regions. It was also a grave
reminder of the very acute connection between the lucrative trade in conflict minerals, used in our
cell phones and laptops, and these brutal campaigns of violence waged by armed groups against
innocent civilians.

We must however, seize hope and inspiration knowing that our collective efforts to secure
US conflict minerals legislation, demanding transparency and accountability within our
supply chains, has caught the attention of the US government, regional governments and
international actors setting off a chain reaction which would have otherwise been impossible.

Influential international voices like UN Special Advisor on Sexual Violence in Conflict Margot
Wallstrom have publicly recognized the US conflict minerals legislation as a step in the right
direction calling on Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to deliver on its commitments and on other
European countries to follow suit.

While the legislation is only a first step, it is an important one. Support from Congolese Catholic
Bishops, civil society groups in North and South Kivu, human rights groups such as African
Association for the Defense of Human Rights along with formal statements from their Ministry
of Information demonstrate the hope that this legislation brings. In a recent trip to the region
Enough’s co-founder John Prendergast and actress Ashley Judd heard and saw widespread
evidence on the impact of US legislation. They both assess this achievement as one provides a
real opportunity to change the reality for communities if implemented and acted upon properly.

Lending power to our voices, in recent weeks mounting public scrutiny of the conflict minerals
trade has also contributed to President Kabila’s decision to ban on all mineral exploitation in
North Kivu, South Kivu and Maniema.

While such actions demonstrate a definite shift from the status quo their positive impact on the
lives of civilians remains in question. As we know Congo holds a substantial portion of the
world’s supply of tungsten, tin and tantalum- each of which are essential components of the
technology central to our business and social engagements. Simply cutting out Congo’s minerals
from the global supply chain is therefore unrealistic in the long term and in the short term could
result in driving the trade underground making it more difficult to trace the minerals and even
further exacerbating the humanitarian crisis.

Our critical role in monitoring ongoing efforts addressing the conflict in eastern Congo is now
more important than ever before. We must continue to amplify our consumer voices and call on
the US government and companies to demonstrate committed leadership and deliver on three
critical steps:

1 . Implement conflict minerals legislation requiring companies to trace and audit their
supply chains.

2 . Drive the process to secure a robust certification scheme for minerals from the region.

3 . A comprehensive strategy supporting Congolese-led efforts to reform the security sector
and dismantle armed groups.

As consumers we have the ability to help remove the economic incentive of conflict by eliminating the market for conflict minerals. Stay tuned for more reports, actions and updates
coming soon!

Best,

Sadia Hameed
Raise Hope for Congo Campaign Manager- the Enough Project

P.S. If you'd like more information about the Enough Project’s reaction to the mining ban in eastern Congo please visit our Conflict Minerals page.

via app.mx3.americanprogressaction.org

Posted via email from projectbrainsaver