The ongoing conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) over mineral resources has drawn attention to the potential role of tech companies in the crisis. As demand for cobalt and coltan use by big tech continues to grow, there are concerns that this demand is fueling the violence. This is made worse because of the documented use of child labor in the mines and the child soldiers used by rebel groups to fight for control. Peace News spoke with experts and DRC civilians about these issues to better understand what’s driving the conflict and how both local and international peacebuilders can help resolve these problems.
Experts interviewed: Paul Nantulya & Judith Verweijen
Ruth Omar
Meet the woman who believes journalism can make the world a better place. Ruth Omar is a journalist and a storyteller from Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo. After studying journalism and communication studies at Cavendish University Uganda, Ruth engaged in her career by raising people’s voices in her local community and Uganda. In 2019, she won the best technology news story prize at the Interuniversity Media Challenge Uganda. She is a 2020 Media Challenge Fellow. She is a Peace Building fellow from Never Again Rwanda. She has been publishing documentaries produced by different media houses, like BBC World Service, Les Hauts Parleurs and Human Angle, among others. She is a blogger and a voice-over artist. Social media manager and communications specialist from different organizations in Goma/DRC. She is a VOA Stringer and a Radio personality in Goma. She is passionate about telling African stories and changing the African narrative. She speaks French, English, and Kiswahili.
John Simms
John Simms is a multi-talented Digital Media Producer with a combined 9+ years of experience. He is well-versed in the creation of a wide range of media content including photography, journalistic writing, short films, documentaries, music videos, marketing videos, fundraising videos, and video scripts.
 over mineral resources has drawn attention to the potential role of tech companies in the crisis. As demand for cobalt and coltan use by big tech continues to grow, there are concerns that this demand is fueling the violence.){kind=link}