The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is one of the richest countries in the world in terms of natural resources, with an estimated $24 trillion in untapped mineral resources. One would assume that its citizens are wealthy, but the reality is very different, as the DRC’s people find themselves the victims rather than the benefactors of those conditions.

The DRC is particularly rich in cobalt, lithium, and coltan, which are critical materials to produce electronics. As reported by STATISTA in 2023, the country provides approximately 57% of the world’s cobalt supply, making its mines a huge source of profit.

As the tech sector has developed, demands for cobalt have grown, and locals recognize the strategic value of this resource. Since the Second Congo War in 1998, violent clashes have occurred between militias and armed groups to gain control over the DRC’s minerals. Those factions, having taken over territories, often exploit the local population, forcing them to work in the mines to gain profits that finance their operations. While big multinational firms buy those materials from the factions, locals experience forced evictions, sexual violence, and human right violations. As a result, the DRC’s mineral- rich territories, instead of benefitting the local population, only exacerbate inequalities while enriching multinational corporations.

The worrying situation in the DRC has been addressed internationally multiple times, which demonstrates the complexity of the issue and the urgency to find a solution. “The criminal laundering of the DRC’s natural resources smuggled out of the country is strengthening armed groups, sustaining the exploitation of civilian populations, some of them reduced to de-facto slavery, and undermining peace-making efforts,” acknowledged the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for the DRC, Bintou Keita, in 2024. Yet, the international community still struggles to adopt truly effective solutions.

When discussing the working conditions of mine laborers in the DRC, many different realities must be taken into consideration, starting from the most vulnerable fringes of the population, which include children and women, many of whom experience mine slavery. The European Commission in 2022 addressed this urgent matter and condemned the use of child labour. Children receive as little as 10 cents per day to work in inhumane conditions and are threatened with brutal violence. Moreover, according to Panzi, a Congolese foundation advocating for victims of sexual violence, sexual abuse is also a major issue. Mass rape is used to terrorize and subjugate communities in mining areas. This allows armed militias to psychologically weaken locals, making them easier to exploit for labour and resources. Women and girls are the main target of this barbaric practice, often struggling with stigmatization and isolation from their community.

In response to these woeful conditions in the DRC, the UN has offered to intervene in critical areas of the country, establishing the UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO). Its mandate, renewed in December 2024, prioritizes the “protection of civilians under threat of physical violence by taking all necessary measures to ensure effective, timely, dynamic and integrated protection”. Despite the international community’s commitment to peacekeeping, though, the DRC still struggles with a severe humanitarian crisis, requiring further interventions.

The U.S. Department of Labour still categorizes the DRC as having made “minimal advancement in efforts to eliminate the worst forms of child laborm” and workers are still forced to toil in deadly caves and tunnels that often collapse and cause thousands of deaths.

Despite MONUSCO’s efforts to prevent major outbreaks of violence, its has failed to implement long term political change, focusing more on containing threats rather than empowering the Congolese.

These failed interventions show the necessity of finding alternative solutions. As the DRC currently faces an extremely complex political situation, marked by great instability, the long-term objective, as the UN stresses, must be the promotion of rule of law and the country’s stabilization. However, in the short term, immediate and effective measures also are required to protect local communities struggling with exploitation and hazardous working conditions.

The UN should intervene more effectively, narrowing down its mission’s mandate and focusing on safeguarding those in need.

Adopting a more targeted approach, such as direct collaboration with local organizations advocating for worker’s protections, could be more effective and sustainable, leading to concrete action and consistent human rights protection. This approach should be also reflected in UN peacekeeping missions, which should focus on small-scale tasks, such as patrolling mining areas to prevent takeovers from violent groups.

Alongside UN efforts at a local level, other actors should get involved. The International Labor Organization (ILO) can define specific labor guidelines and standards tailored to Congolese mining activities. This would allow the UN to carry out its mission more effectively by implementing and adhering to these guidelines.

At the global level, third-party countries should also play their part, promoting and enforcing policies that require maximum transparency from companies regarding the supervision of their cobalt supply chains. Imposing disclosure requirements on extraction procedures and working conditions would incentivize companies to force their suppliers to respect international working standards and pressure them into following those guidelines, in order to maintain competitive in global markets.

Lastly, while its role may seem minor, civil society can contribute to the cause as well. Spreading awareness of the reality of cobalt mines while making responsible consumer choices, such as purchasing products containing ethically sourced materials, would make a real difference. The increase in public demand for more ethical products can drive long term change, breaking the chain of exploitation and indifference.Being aware of the impact our consumer choices have on others can truly help the cause. Even by taking minor actions we can shape our own reality and contribute to a broader movement of global justice. Acknowledging our responsibility is the first step towards promoting change.