What is coltan?

Coltan, short for columbite tantalite, is the principal source of tantalum, a rare and valuable metal in huge demand in today's high technology industries.

Tantalum is an extremely hard, dense element that is highly resistant to corrosion. It has a very high melting point and is a good conductor of heat and electricity. Demand for tantalum has been growing since 1992, mainly due to the increase in applications for tantalum capacitors used in personal computers and mobile phones.

The race for coltan

The electronics industry is by far the biggest consumer of tantalum but there was a massive shortfall in 2000 and early 2001 as a result of the market demand for capacitors. This has put pressure on the mining of coltan in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and illegal exploitation soon became a serious problem during the second war, which broke out in 1998.

Microchip component sifted from mud

The costs and technology involved in sourcing coltan are low – it is found by digging in the soil and it is easily sold. Eighty percent of the world’s coltan reserves are located in Africa, and 80% of the deposits are found in the eastern part of the DRC.

Capacitors made with tantalum have an unmatched ability to hold high voltages at very high temperatures. Because of that, tantalum capacitors have been essential to the miniaturization of cell phones and other handheld wireless devices. At the time of the price spike, the No. 1 destination for the DRC's coltan exports was the United States. The prices of tantalum and its coltan ore have fallen from their 2000-2002 peak, but continued heavy demand from the electronics industry will keep their value high.

Where’s the problem?

Coltan is mainly extracted from forests. Mining activities are carried out by workers, many of who were once farmers, often working under the supervision of soldiers. The setting up of mining camps and the construction of routes to reach and take away coltan can be a threat to the forest and its wildlife.3

Coltan stocks are obtained in places such that are home to the okapi (Okapia johnstoni), and Kahuzi-Biega National Park, home of the moutnain gorilla which is endangered (Gorilla beringei beringei ). In 2004, it is estimated that over 10,000 people moved into the Kahuzi-Biega National Park to work in the mining industry.

As the pristine forest is denuded for mining, gorillas are being killed and their meat is sold as to the miners and rebel armies that control the area.

In 2004 alone, 4,000 people are reported to have migrated to the eastern DRC’s Okapi Wildlife Reserve to mine coltan. The reserve is the only protected area in the world for the okapi.