In a rebel-held mine in the Democratic Republic of Congo around 15 per cent of the world’s coltan supply is pulled from the earth. If you’ve used your phone, boarded a plane, been guided by a GPS, or interacted at all with any form of computing, you have relied on coltan.
Sam Kiley investigates why the DRC is still mired in war and poverty despite being an essential link in the global supply chain, and whether a new deal with President Trump could solve the country’s problems.
This video has been produced as part of The Independent’s Rethinking Global Aid project