War, rape fueled by our phoneS, ComputerS

#)U$(F*4",-"I"&*'/"*23(("%'*&>&'"#*-&*4($7"%*)%.*6)%'".*'$*&/$6*/"(* support for an overhaul of immigration legislation.

Women in the Congo are subjected to malicious rape and torture at the hands of warlords looking to extort technology. Cell phones and computers have been fueling the conflict for years.

By Alyssa Mentzer

Features Editor

By Elizabeth Krupka A&E Editor

A 57-year-old woman from a village in the Congo was brutally raped by a man. But her’s was no ordinary rape.

In another village nearby a line of 50 women stretched across the dusty grounds of a food distribution camp came to tell their stories to an American journalist about the deadliest weapon in the

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Congo – rape.

Rape is one of the weapons in the war to control the precious minerals that go into our cell phones and computers.

“Everyone wants to get their hands on those minerals,” Amy Ernst, a rape counselor and New York Times blogger, said. “Even the soldiers are involved. They are raping women and killing people.”

7-89(6-.&+,))1&32+ 5::5;+,-526&+(32+: 56&<,.=56;-26>&!?$?> are being raped each month and approximately 5.4 million people have died due to the effects of conflict minerals.

Although many have heard about conflict diamonds or “blood diamonds,” less attention has been given to conflict minerals.

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The goal is to control the mines in the Congo that produce the raw materials for our phones and computers.

As of right now 1,100 women

Conflict minerals are commodities that are extracted from the mines in the Congo. Gold, tin, tantalum and tungsten are four precious minerals that are necessary to the development of any electronic product.

In order to instill fear and maintain control, the armed gangs of warlords use rape as their central weapon. Even the soldiers themselves are controlled by the warlords’ threats of personal violence. facturers of component parts in countries like China.

:V-'/$3'*W*X-%1*'/"*,)6&*'/)'*)("*-%"++"2'-I"F*-##-1()'-$%*O($4,"#&* 2)%Y'*4"*&$,I".F=*E3(7"*&)-.8*:9/"*23(("%'*,)6&*#)7"*-'*-#O$&&-4,"*+$(*'/"* %3#4"(*$+*O"$O,"*6/$*6)%'*'$*2$#"*'$*5#"(-2)*'$*.$*&$*,"1),,>8= 9/$&"*'/)'*#)(2/".*/",.*4>*&-1%&*'/)'*(").F*:GZ3),*'(")'#"%'*+$(*),,=* and “No human can be illegal” at the rally.

Then large electronic companies like Apple, Dell, Motorola and Microsoft buy the component parts.

<()%2"&*[)(("'F*&$O/$#$("*&$2-),*6$(7*)%.*DO)%-&/*#)U$(*)'*G)&'"(%* H%-I"(&-'>F*6)&*3O,-+'".*4>*'/"*&/""(*%3#4"(*$+*O"$O,"*)'*'/"*(),,>8 :\'*6)&*("),,>*O$6"(+3,*'$*4"*-%*'/"*#-.&'*$+*&$*#)%>*O"$O,"*'/)'*6)%'* change and have traveled so far to stand up for their rights,” Garrett said. 9/"*R)'-%$*2$##3%-'>*+($#*V"&'*C/"&'"(*6)&*),&$*-%*)''"%.)%2"* ),$%1&-."*C)4(-%-*&'3."%'&8*D(8*;-#-*!"T)3,F*2$$(.-%)'$(*$+*]-&O)%-2* #-%-&'(>*$+*D'8*51%"&*C/3(2/F*6)%'".*'$*()-&"*/"(*I$-2"*+$(*'/"* undocumented.

“A solider who I had talked to, with thick scars on his wrists, looked beaten down by the world. He was a victim of the war too. He was not necessarily agreeing to the violence and raping women. He was expected to go along with it or his arms would be severed off,” Ernst said.

Computer motherboards, circuits and chips are all used to make the finished computers and cellphones.

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After being mined and smuggled into other countries, the minerals are then sold to manu-

“You can say, ‘we don’t want to know where our products are coming from.’ That ignorance is bliss, but people would much rather buy conflict-free

CONGO, Page 3