The Rwandan government falls. Hutus flock to Congo in search of safety. The conflict soon spreads, involving nine nations and two hundred tribal groups, reawakening ancient hatreds and resentments. Congo (formerly Zaire) also possesses 60% of the world’s coltan, a tantalum and niobium mineral highly sought after for the manufacture of cell phones. The rapidly rising demand for coltan, and the sudden, enormous availability of liquidity, thus becomes intertwined with the ongoing, murky conflict.
