Conflict minerals and wars over natural resources (Emma Saunders, Lisa Toremark – Chatham House)

Conflict minerals are minerals that are high in demand, which makes them valuable to conflict actors to extract and sell to fund armed groups. The profits made from selling these minerals are then used to buy weapons and levy political influence, exacerbating widespread corruption. The conflict minerals concept first emerged in the 1990s, largely because of the conflicts in Sierra Leone and Angola, which were fuelled by conflict diamonds.

Conflict minerals and wars over natural resources | Chatham House – International Affairs Think Tank