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

This policy brief examines the unintended consequences of initiatives launched around 2011 to stop the illegal exploitation of minerals from financing conflict in the Great Lakes region. While these efforts increased global awareness of the link between mineral sourcing and insecurity, they also led to the labeling of regional minerals—specifically gold, tin, tantalum, and tungsten—as 'conflict minerals,' which has disrupted demand and harmed local economies.

• Initiatives starting in 2011 to stop the illegal exploitation of minerals from financing conflict in the Great Lakes region have had mixed results. They successfully increased awareness regarding the responsibility of stakeholders in mineral sourcing to avoid fueling insecurity, but they also resulted in the labeling of gold, tin, tantalum, and tungsten from the region as 'conflict minerals'.
• The 'conflict mineral' label has caused several negative economic impacts in the Great Lakes region, including interrupted mineral demand, the closure of export and purchase businesses, loss of employment, and reduced income for the local economy. The document warns that these trends could negatively reinforce the existing regional crisis if not addressed.

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} }