Critical Metals
Critical node· Critical Metals · Critical anchor

Coltan, Rubaya, North Kivu (DR Congo)

Rubaya (Nord-Kivu), DR Congo1.63°S 28.85°E
computed criticality18/100
reading
DRC ≈42-51% of global tantalum (2024); DRC + Rwanda ≈58%
2024
Fault line

The tantalum of capacitors, phones, servers, defence electronics, comes nearly half from a single war-ravaged region. Rubaya's coltan finances and feeds the militias; its traceability remains a mirage, part of it transiting through neighbouring Rwanda. The world's electronics chain rests on a conflict mineral, the most opaque origin in the atlas.

Actors
Local cooperatives and militias (North Kivu)
AVX, KEMET (capacitors, downstream)
Feeds 1
Nvidia, Santa ClaraCompute
Sources