Shanghai Metals Market (“SMM”) is an independent service provider that does not participate in trades. SMM is a market observer that engages buyers and sellers in the commodities market. By consulting with industry independent participants, SMM drafts the methodology, examines and revises it regularly based on the specifications and terms of trade that are generally used in the market, with equal weighting given to transactions that meet the standards.
Women sit outside a dwelling amid concerns about the spread of the coronavirus disease March 23, 2020, in Goma, Congo. (CNS/Olivia Acland, Reuters)
My country, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, or DRC, is one of the largest areas in the world that mines cobalt for cellphones and other electronics. In the past, we were famous for copper mining, and then cobalt was discovered as technology kept expanding, it was needed worldwide. This boom brought great changes, including increased conflicts, lasting for years. It is a complex situation, with political and economic reasons made worse by armed militias. All three factors reflect the desire for power and control of national resources for personal gain.