"The DRC has an abundance of natural wealth, including a multitude of minerals such as
diamonds, gold, copper, cobalt, cassiterite (tin ore) and coltan, as well as timber, coffee and oil. However, these vast resources have scarcely benefited the Congolese people. Instead, they have contributed to decades of conflict, numerous serious human rights abuses and violations of international humanitarian law. The link between natural resource exploitation and human rights violations dates back to colonial times and continued throughout the three decades of President Mobutu Sese Seko’s rule."
"The DRC has huge economic potential; it accounts for around 17 percent of global production of rough diamonds, for example. The copper belt that runs through Katanga and Zambia contains 34 percent of the world’s cobalt and 10 percent of the world’s copper. Moreover, 60-80 percent of global reserves of coltan, used in the manufacture of mobile phones, computers and other electronic equipment, can be found in North and South Kivu. Yet very little of the revenue from natural resource exploitation has been used to contribute to the country's overall development or to raise its peoples' living standards."