Coltan is a metallic ore mined and used to produce metallic elements niobium and tantalum, which are major ingredients in making capacitators for electronics such a laptops, cellular phones and gaming consoles.
Because of an ongrowing demand for the metal, fueled mostly by such popular gaming consoles as the Playstation, it has become a new kind of "black gold" for third world countries, namely the Congo and Rwanda. The demand has been so high, that is has caused an actua, full-out war between different tribes in the neighbouring countries.
The war, sometimes called "The Playstation War" started when The Congo discovered that hundreds of millions of dollars worth of coltan were stolen from its territory by the Rwandan military.
To make matters worse, it appears that both sides employ slave and child labor to mine the precious ore. Rwanda and Congo's kids are mining Coltan, so the kids of the Western world can play GTA IV.
More about Coltan on Wikipedia.
More on Africa's Playstation wars.
Coltan is not only found in conflict areas. It is found in Australia, Canada, China, Brazil, as well as Ethiopia and Mozambique. A very simple solution is to get ONE coltan trading company to make sure its coltan comes ONLY from non conflict areas, and for ONE consumer electronics company to get their coltan ONLY for this source, and for this consumer electronics company to put a little sticker on their products saying "free from coltan mined in conflict areas" Well possibly something more catchy than that. And then they can put it in all their advertising. Their sales will rise (even a rise in sales of only 5% will greatly improve profits) and other manufacturers will take notice, because one thing that corporations are scared of is a drop in sales. They will ALL start sourcing from certified conflict free regions, and the problem will be solved.
Just goes to show you... anything that COULD or even SHOULD be an economic benefit to Africa only winds up being another human disaster. Civilization should just pull out of Africa altogether and let that continent work out its own social and political balances. I think the modern world was forced on some people who weren't ready for it, and have failed to adapt.
well I almost want to say let them deal with it on their own. But that's not responsible. So the last option really is a bit extreme for me. I guess establishing a fair trade deal; but then the real battle, ofcourse, will be policing and officiating the deal.
We need more FANCY electronics ! and we really don't care what happens... It's kinda how we like to wear nice NIKES that were made by slave chinese kids. Or to put it more simple; just like eating hamburgers as long we we didn't raise and slaugther the cow ourselves. We just want the final product... Isn't that how the world moves forward ?