'Coltan Conflict Cliché' by Christoph N. Vogel

Through meticulous, long-term fieldwork, this book analyzes why the campaign against “conflict minerals” went wrong and radically disrupted the political economy of eastern Congo. It dissects the evolution of the “conflict minerals” paradigm, the political and economic campaigns and responses it has triggered, and their impact on the artisanal mining sector. This book demonstrates how Western advocacy and policies relied on colonial frameworks to impose reforms, and how the “white savior” ideology that underpins them perpetuates violence and inequality in the international political economy.