In a statement, the agency urged buyers to reject coltan from the conservation sites. The WWF said wildlife populations have dropped significantly in eastern Congo in recent years, but it is unclear how much of that is due to coltan mining and how much to the wars that have plagued the region since 1996. Gorillas living in Kahuza-Biega are currently estimated at between 110 and 130, half the population of 1996. The coltan mining is driving the eastern lowland gorilla closer to extinction, the agency said, calling for measures to minimise the impact on the environment.
Congolese people extract coltan from black mud simply by digging with shovels.
The ore sells on world markets for around R2650 per kilogram. Low availability of coltan last year led to a worldwide shortage of Sony Playstation 2 video games. A recent report by a UN panel of experts said Congolese rebels along with Rwandan and Ugandan government forces are exploiting Congo's mineral wealth and using the profits to fuel their war against the government in Kinshasa. That report wasn't very well intentioned. The problem in Congo is not about minerals.