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african_stream: The wealth of the world's most successful enterprises and richest nations has long been built off of the exploitation and plunder of Africa. The Democratic Republic of Congo especially has served as the backbone of the world economy, providing many of the materials needed for the accumulation of wealth - while reaping almost none of the benefits. Apple is one example of a company that relies heavily on the use of coltan in order to develop technologies such as its laptops, smartphones and tablets. The Democratic Republic of the Congo is home to 64% of the world's coltan. Coltan allows for electrical charges to be stored in small devices known as capacitors, making the mineral indispensable for the production of many modern electronics. Coltan mining has been the source of tremendous conflict and violence in the eastern DRC. Neighbouring countries Rwanda and Uganda are accused of waging warfare by proxy in order to smuggle coltan and other minerals across their borders. Due to conflict, roughly six-million people have been killed in the DRC since 1996. Furthermore, the coltan-extraction sector is notorious for the exploitation of children, who often labour in the mines in high-risk conditions. About 40,000 children and adolescents are estimated to work in coltan mines in Congo. Other companies that rely on coltan for their production include Microsoft, IBM, Hewlett-Packard (HP), Samsung, Toyota, Tesla, Dell, Ford, BMW, General Motors, LG, Sony, Volkswagen and