Last week, we wrote about the recent conflict in Congo and suggested that diamond and gold mining are at the root of the issues. Over the weekend, an AP article appeared on Yahoo News providing further backing to our statement. Below are excerpts from “Mining for Minerals Fuels Congo Conflict” by Louise Watt.

“The links are very clear between the mining activity going to finance these groups, and these armed groups we know have been benefiting financially from the mining areas,” said Lizzie Parsons, a member of the Congo team at London-based Global Witness, a non-governmental organization that investigates natural resource exploitation.

“Basically, the rebels control the mines. They are selling them to middlemen who sell them to the next buyer and it goes up the chain,” said Colin Thomas-Jensen of Enough Project, a Washington-based human rights organization that carries out field research into various African conflicts including Congo.

“There have been instances where minerals are simply backpacked … taken to a small airstrip and taken out of the country by a small plane and presumably sold to a small dealer across the border,” he added.

This doesn’t mean that you should boycott diamonds and gold. C5 offers ethically sourced diamonds from Canada as well as lab-created diamonds, which are not marked by negative social or environmental impact. Recycled gold, rather than virgin gold, further minimizes the impact of jewelry. All of C5 custom jewelry and the designer pieces sold through our boutique are made with recycled metals.