Publication

This study places the micro-level patterns and structures in the trade of coltan – a form of tantalum ore – in the context of the war-economy in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The author argues that as the conflict stagnated belligerents used the coltan trade to finance violence. The coltan trade, however, is also a major source of grassroots livelihoods. When considered in combination with the complexity of the coltan market internationally, the author advises against an international boycott intended to limit violence in the DRC.