Mineral Trade Did Not Cause Conflict in the Congo

The surge in violence in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo has some commentators blaming a familiar scapegoat: mineral trade and American technology companies whose products contain coltan and other “conflict minerals.” Eastern Congo is rich in these minerals, which are vital to the production of smartphones, computers, and gaming electronics. But mineral trade is not the underlying cause of violence. Policies that assume it is are common, but can do more harm than good.