Addressing the 'conflict minerals' crisis in the Great Lakes Region

The document examines the dual impact of initiatives aimed at stopping the illegal exploitation of minerals to fund conflict in the Great Lakes region. While these efforts have increased global awareness and stakeholder responsibility, they have also led to the 'conflict mineral' labelling of gold, tin, tantalum, and tungsten. This labelling has caused interrupted demand, business closures, and loss of employment, which the authors argue could further reinforce the regional crisis if not addressed.

• Initiatives to stop the illegal exploitation of minerals in the Great Lakes region have successfully increased awareness regarding how these minerals finance conflict and the necessity for stakeholders to ensure their sourcing does not fuel insecurity.
• The labelling of gold, tin, tantalum, and tungsten as 'conflict minerals' has resulted in negative economic outcomes, including disrupted demand, the closure of export and purchase businesses, and reduced local income and employment.

APA

Atta-Asamoah, A., & Githaiga, N. (n.d.). Addressing the 'conflict minerals' crisis in the Great Lakes Region. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.org/research/policy-brief/addressing-the-conflict-minerals-crisis-in-the-great-lakes-region

Chicago

Atta-Asamoah, Andrews, and Nyambura Githaiga. Addressing the 'conflict minerals' crisis in the Great Lakes Region. Institute for Security Studies, n.d. https://issafrica.org/research/policy-brief/addressing-the-conflict-minerals-crisis-in-the-great-lakes-region.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Atta-Asamoah |first1=Andrews |last2=Githaiga |first2=Nyambura |title=Addressing the 'conflict minerals' crisis in the Great Lakes Region |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |url=https://issafrica.org/research/policy-brief/addressing-the-conflict-minerals-crisis-in-the-great-lakes-region |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{attaasamoahndaddressing, author = {Atta-Asamoah, Andrews and Githaiga, Nyambura}, title = {{Addressing the 'conflict minerals' crisis in the Great Lakes Region}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, url = {https://issafrica.org/research/policy-brief/addressing-the-conflict-minerals-crisis-in-the-great-lakes-region}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }