Personal Literature Review

            The article by Jeffery Gettleman is an interesting article that appeared on the National Geographic website. It talks mainly of his experience through the Congo where he visited a rebel lead mine. The whole article starts with his journey to the mine where he encountered several children that he estimated to be around 14 or 15. He said these armed children were satisfied with cigarettes and a couple dollars. Jeffrey also talks about the immense amount of resources sitting just below the soil in the Congo and he also discussed the history of the Congo. He talks about the wars that lead the country devastated. The devastation lead to a takeover by rebel groups which is now where the Congo is currently. Once Jeffrey gets to the mine he is immediately accused of spying and taken under arrest. Later in the article, an officer from the UN states “Those guys in Bavi (a village in the Cong) didn’t want you seeing what they were up to.” He later goes on to say that because of all the illegalities of the conflict mining it’s a situation where rebel leaders are trying to obtain as much of a certain resource as they can before leaving. Gettleman ends the article with his discussion with the UN officer which reads “When we asked him what it would take to fix Congo, he looked down at his polished shoes for a long time. “There’s no easy solution,” he said. “And I’m not even sure there is any solution.” To completely ban mines from central Africa would damage what little income the “green mine” miners make. It’s a horrific situation, but something has to be done. The article was eye-opening and a good insight to the Congo.

Gettleman, Jeffrey. "Conflict Minerals." The Price of Precious. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Nov. 2013.