Rio Tinto

Insiders | DRC
Mines at the heart of ethnic allegiances

In this enormous country where central power is weak, ethnic allegiance counts above everything, particularly in the mineral resources sector where the political and economic stakes are high. Whoever controls the copper, cobalt, diamond and cassiterite mines of this vast land controls the manna which will finance the presidential and provincial elections of the future and the military operations needed to repel foreign forces.