The world is embracing renewable technologies but how much do we know about the metals that are powering this green revolution? This story exposes the shocking truth about the mining of cobalt, a metal crucial to making the batteries in electric cars, laptops and mobile phones. Australian reporter Michael Davie travels to this mineral-rich country to investigate the industry – from the major Chinese-owned companies to the conditions of the small-scale workers on the fringes of the big mines.

Unreported World investigates the dirty business of cobalt mining in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The mineral is fuelling the planet’s green revolution, but at what cost?

The Democratic Republic of Congo has been facing political instability and armed violence since 1996, with an estimated six million people killed since the conflict began. In March 2022 the M23 armed group launched a new offensive and seized territory in eastern DRC, displacing more than a million people. According to a Human Rights Watch report, the M23 allegedly executed scores of villagers and militia members between November 2022 and April 2023, burying them in mass graves in the village of Kishishe, North Kivu.

King Leopold II of Belgium is primarily known for his involvement in the colonisation of the Congo, which was his personal property known as the Congo Free State that was characterised by brutal exploitation, human rights abuses and the killing of over 10 million Africans. #HistoryVille

Chaka Bars Discusses Displacement In The Congo, Black Future, Pan-Africanism + More

Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo has endured 25 years of war, making it the deadliest global conflict since World War II. The United Nations estimates that over six million people have died and millions more displaced by the conflict. Congo’s national army, East Africa’s Regional Forces, and a 15,000-strong UN peacekeeping force have failed to stop the rebels' advance. Frustrated and angry, young Congolese people across the east are joining the fight.

Congo's Tin Soldiers (2006): The West's demand for cassiterite is fuelling the killings in Congo. Militias rely on slave labour to extract the ore, forcing locals to work in sub-human conditions.