Mining co-operatives in DRC have issued a joint statement summarising the impact of the US Dodd-Frank Act on their livelihoods and urged buyers to support them. In a message headlined “Access to the international market for the minerals from our mines is a matter of life or death”, the CDMC co-operative from Katanga and the FECOMIMA federation of Maniema say: “Aware of the immense challenges involved in providing end-purchasers with conflict-free minerals, we have undertaken a process of due diligence and traceability and this has not been easy. Efforts have been made by the first stakeholders in the supply chain, the diggers, to meet the requirements for the access of 3Ts (tin, tungsten and tantalum) to the international market.

We have worked so hard to meet international requirements and we do not want to feel abandoned by 3T processors downstream not supporting our products.

Buying minerals from the DRC amounts to saving human lives. Let us join in supporting the efforts undertaken by the diggers of the DRC to provide the international market with conflict-free minerals with all the combined initiatives working together to ensure the traceability of movements of materials in the DRC.  Let us restore hope to the Congolese people.”

A full version of the statement, highlighting the progress made on the ground in DRC is available on the ITRI website.