How The Blood Of The Congo Powers Our Lives
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) ranks 175 out of 189 on the United Nations Human Development Index, with over three-quarters of its population living below the poverty line. Despite this, the DRC’s wealth in cobalt—a byproduct of copper mining and a rare metal essential for lithium-ion rechargeable batteries used in smartphones, tablets, laptops, and electric vehicles (EVs)—offers a glimmer of hope for development. However, the potential prosperity from cobalt mining is overshadowed by the severe exploitation and human suffering associated with its extraction, making it unlikely that the DRC will truly benefit from this valuable resource. Cobalt Red: How the Blood of the Congo Powers Our Lives by Siddharth Kara is an urgent, heartbreaking, and timely book that calls for immediate humanitarian action while highlighting the economic and geopolitical significance of these so-called strategic and rare earth elements used in modern technology and renewable energy.
Cobalt Red reveals how the complex and opaque layers of multinational supply chains obscure the harsh realities of cobalt mining in the Congo. Congolese children, women, and men are forced to dig for cobalt under extreme conditions, earning as little as four or five dollars a day. Kara surveys multiple miners, uncovering a hidden world of artisanal mining in the DRC. Artisanal mining (ASM)—informal operations carried out by individuals, families, or small groups using simple tools and techniques—is labor-intensive and lacks the sophisticated equipment of larger, more formal mining operations. Kara also highlights the vertical integration of Chinese companies across the cobalt supply chain and China’s current monopoly—a significant geopolitical concern for the U.S. and the EU.
Cobalt Red also touches on historical events, including the exploitation by King Leopold II, European invasions and the slave trade (1482-1884), and Africa’s Great War. The DRC has endured coups driven by the desire for control over its mineral wealth, leading to further bloodshed. As power struggles continue within the country, a major geopolitical and economic decision looms: will the DRC align more closely with China or the U.S.? Whether this choice will lead to improvements in the lives of the nation’s artisanal miners remains uncertain. Kara argues that as long as the political elite continue the tradition of government-as-theft established by their colonial predecessors, the people of the Congo will continue to suffer. He also criticizes stakeholders up the supply chain for refusing to accept responsibility, a major issue faced by the Congo’s artisanal miners.
As Cobalt Red concludes, readers are confronted with the murkiness at the bottom of the cobalt supply chain. For centuries, the Congolese people have endured slavery and violence, and the cobalt rush is the latest threat adding to their misery. The book ends with a letter from Patrice Lumumba, the nation’s greatest freedom fighter and first prime minister, who was assassinated in 1961. While Lumumba’s vision for his country was grand, Siddharth Kara’s Cobalt Red leaves readers questioning whether the DRC will ever escape the shadows and the curse of its strategic metal—cobalt.
