@ignorance.is.blis78: The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is home to over 50% of the world’s #cobalt reserves. Cobalt is an essential #mineral for rechargeable batteries used in electric vehicles, smartphones, and renewable energy technologies. However, this critical resource comes at a staggering human cost: the exploitation of child labourin artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM). Despite international attention, thousands of children continue to toil under hazardous conditions for meagre wages, sacrificing their #health, #education, and future. Kolwezi is known as the country's cobalt capital. Industrial mines, like those operated by Swiss multinational Glencore and Chinese firms, are found here alongside illegal sites where hundreds of thousands of people hack the metal out of the ground with their bare hands. Human rights organizations like Amnesty International and Save the Children estimate that tens of thousands of minors work in these illegal cobalt #mines. Just recently there was a major coltan mine collapse in the Rubaya area of eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in late January 2026 resulted in over 200 de*ths, with children and women confirmed among the victims.

Ignorance is Bliss

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Region: US

Wednesday 04 February 2026 16:31:30 GMT