Rwanda Exportes Congolese Coltan to Tech Giants says Global Witness

A major new investigation by Global Witness reveals how conflict coltan,looted from mines in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and financing the brutal M23 rebellion, has flooded global supply chains. Over 2,000 tonnes of this smuggled mineral, originating from the Rubaya mines that supply 15% of the world’s tantalum (a critical component in smartphones, laptops, cars, and electronics), have been laundered through Rwanda and into products from major brands including Microsoft, Apple, Amazon, Sony, Nvidia, Toyota, Vodafone, LG Display, Ericsson, and Honda.

The report, titled Who Buys Rwanda’s Smuggled Coltan? (June 2026), traces the entire journey and exposes systemic failures in due diligence, traceability systems, and international oversight. Here’s exactly how it happens, step by step, based on the investigation’s findings from interviews with smugglers, trade data analysis, and on-the-ground evidence.

1. Conflict Coltan Mined and Taxed in DRC’s Rubaya Mines

The Rubaya mines in North Kivu province, DRC, are among the world’s richest coltan deposits. Since April 2024, M23, backed by 7,000–12,000 Rwandan troops, has controlled the area. M23 has turned the mines into a primary revenue source for its war, which has killed thousands and displaced hundreds of thousands.

M23’s parallel administration, led by key figure Erasto Bahati, selects friendly traders, runs taxation at mining sites (US$4 per kg to M23 + US$3 per kg to Rwanda), and enforces compliance through beatings, fines, and repression. Child labor and deadly landslides are documented. UN experts estimate M23 generates US$800,000 monthly from these taxes since May 2024. By early 2025, M23 also controlled significant 3T mineral (coltan, cassiterite, wolframite) production in South Kivu.

2. Smuggling Across the Border into Rwanda

Most coltan is smuggled directly into Rwanda, often via Goma (under M23 control) in plain sight of Rwandan officials. Global Witness observed officials recording incoming coltan. Smugglers report authorities are “fully aware.” Coltan is mixed with Rwandan production in Kigali to obscure origins. No confiscations of smuggled coltan have been documented in two years.

Rwanda’s official coltan exports more than doubled (rising 2.5x from 2021–2025), despite the country’s own low domestic production. Experts and the UN have long accused Rwanda of exporting DRC-looted minerals. Rwanda refuses geochemical “analytical fingerprinting” tools and withholds mine-level production data.

3. Rwandan Exporters Buy and “Legitimize” the Conflict Coltan