The Last Stand of the Gorilla

MINING IN GORILLA FORESTS – COLTAN, CASSITERITE, DIAMONDS, GOLD, COBALT AND URANIUM

Mining camps impact gorillas mainly through logging activities and through bushmeat hunting to supply workers, sometimes even slaves, with food. An NGO, Global Witness, has accused several companies, such as THAISARCO, the world’s fifth- largest tin-producing company, owned by British metals giant, AMC, of buying minerals from the conflict zone. THAISAR- CO’s main supplier, Congo-based Panju, sells cassiterite and coltan from mines controlled by the FDLR, according to Global Witness. Another company is the UK-based Afrimex, already found by the British government in 2008 to be in breach of the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises for buying from suppliers who made payments to a rebel group.

Mining the forest

Forest Agricultural or non-forest land Known gold deposit Deforestation monitored with satellites between 2000 to 2007 Virunga National Park

Teturi

Source: IES, Mining, forest change and conflict in the Kivus, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, 2008.

Maperanza

Kakova

Kenia

Kibera

Lebla

Mabana

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO

Beni

UGANDA

Luberu

RWANDA

Butembo

10 Km

Figure 10: Mining and deforestation.

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