WALIKALE, Democratic Republic of Congo, Sept. 11 (UPI) -- President Joseph Kabila has proposed a temporary halt to mining for vital minerals in eastern provinces of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
During a visit Wednesday to Walikale, a mining center in North Kivu province, Kabila said "a kind of mafia" is involved in the trade in coltan and cassiterite, the BBC reported. The two minerals are used in cell phones and computers.
Kabila's ban would cover North Kivu, South Kivu and Maniema.
The BBC said U.N. peacekeepers have said they control the airport in Walikale, giving them the power to stop export of the minerals by easiest route. But rebel groups in the area could find other means to get the two minerals out.
UPI
