UN Says DRC Rebels Exported 150 Tons of Coltan to Rwanda

Rebels in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo illicitly exported at least 150 metric tons of coltan to Rwanda last year, resulting in the largest known contamination of the Great Lakes Region’s mineral supply chain, according to a U.N. expert report seen by Reuters. The exports began after the M23 movement, a Tutsi-led group allegedly supported by Rwanda, took control of the Rubaya area, a key source of minerals used in electronics, following heavy fighting in April.