Can the Democratic Republic of the Congo produce lithium-ion battery cathode precursor materials?

London and Kinshasa, November 24, 2021 – The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) can leverage its abundant cobalt resources and hydroelectric power to become a low-cost and low-emissions producer of lithium-ion battery cathode precursor materials.

Are lithium-ion batteries linked to child labour in the DRC?

An Amnesty International investigation in 2016 revealed that lithium-ion batteries could be linked to child labor in the DRC. The country, which has a long history of foreign exploitation of its natural resources, is now a hot spot for foreign companies to extract high-value and abundant minerals.

What do militias do in the Congo?

And you've got these militias. Sometimes they're called commandos and they will abduct children, traffic children, recruit children from even other parts of the Congo. I met children who had come from hundreds of miles away and have been brought through militia networks down into the copper cobalt mines to dig.

Can foreigners own a comptoir in Congo?

In Congo, it is illegal for foreigners to own a comptoir. But not a single shop visited by Post journalists appeared to be run by Congolese. Asian men operated the Metorex machines. They punched up the tallies on oversize calculators. They handled the cash — thick wads of Congolese francs.