Outcry over 'blood cellphones'

Kinshasa - The watchdog group Global Witness on Monday urged mobile telephone manufacturers to beware of "conflict minerals" - raw materials sourced from war zones - being used in their products.

In a statement to mark the Mobile World Congress opening in Barcelona, Global Witness said such minerals come particularly from conflict zones in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo, where mines are controlled by the army and armed militias.

"It is time for electronics companies to show they are serious about eliminating conflict minerals from their supply chains," said Global Witness campaigner Daniel Balint-Kurti.

"This means requiring suppliers that source minerals from (DR Congo) to declare exactly which mine the minerals come from," he said, recommending "spot checks and audits to back up these declarations.

"If companies cannot be sure that their minerals are conflict-free, they should not be buying them at all," he added.

International smelting firms purchase raw materials used in mobile phones from Congolese trading houses which source them in areas controlled by forces such as the Rwandan rebel Democratic Front for the Liberation of Rwanda and the DR Congolese regular army, Global Witness said.

"Electronics companies could help stop this by demanding evidence from these processors that their products are conflict-free, as a condition of purchase," it said, adding: "However few, if any, have taken this step."

Warring parties in eastern Congo control much of the trade in valuable metals such as tin, tantalum and tungsten, as well as gold, according to Global Witness and UN rapporteurs.

Global Witness pointed out that the armed groups "regularly commit horrific abuses against the civilian population, including mass murder, rape, torture and forced recruitment."

The watchdog body noted that some electronics companies argue that their supply chains are simply too complex to map out but insisted that research by non-governmental organisations and UN investigators disproves this.

"The UN Security Council recently passed a resolution paving the way for the imposition of asset freezes and travel bans on companies that support armed groups in eastern Congo via the illicit mineral trade.

"Given the reluctance of international firms to face up to their responsibilities, Global Witness is urging the Security Council to start using these targeted sanctions against those that have failed to clean up their act," the NGO said.

- Sapa-AFP