VICE News | The VICE Guide to Congo | Part 1 of 5

The Democratic Republic of Congo is one of the poorest countries in the world and thanks to an insanely complicated mix of politics, armed conflict, and corruption... it's also one of the most under-reported. It also happens to be home to a nondescript black rock known as Coltan... a vital ingredient in the production of nearly every cell phone and computer on the planet. Without Coltan, our technology-driven lives would come to a screeching halt, and Congo has 80% of the world's supply. Since the mid nineteen-nineties, armed groups have used these minerals to fund a series of fantastically complicated and horrifically violent wars.

Vice founder Suroosh Alvi travels to the Democratic Republic of Congo and makes one of the most grueling treks of his life to see first-hand where this so-called "conflict mineral" comes from and to meet some of the rebels involved in the seemingly never-ending conflict in Eastern Congo.

To see more of VICE's exploration of the Congo, head over to: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDD462B68623C8714&feature=addto

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• VICE
• VBS.tv
• guide
• to
• Congo
• poor
• politics
• armed
• conflict
• corruption
• coltan
• Africa
• conflict minerals
• technology
• global
• news
• fighting
• death

[blindbrad11]

joe hogan

[Tashaphierce24]

Where are the rest of the videos on congo? Thank you for helping to make the world aware of what attrocities go on in the congo and all over the world. I admire your courage and work, Im a student and will be volunteering in the D.R Congo soon. I have seen a few of your videos now and find them very insightful.

[1namrog]

@Menchjah The word Nigger comes from the word negro, the spanish word for black. Up until the 1930's in America, the title of Nigger or negroe was used commonly to refer to a black-skinned person. The term is still used in nations throughout the world.

[trickydown6969]

What is the Congos most abundant resource?

2:47

[Menchjah]

2:48 the bus says NIGGERS?! lol wtf

[oO0E]

These Vice series are award wining stuff. I could watch them literally all day. I wish they had TONS more material.

[belle2910]

i thought joe rogan said "vice gods of the congo", i didnt know what the funk i was in for!...one more time you dirty beeiittches!

[Ewing5150]

2:48 .......really? lmfao.

[martin4u2]

This is how real journalism is done! FUCK YOU CNN!!!

[SunnyJim33]

@McMuffin752

Oh, right.... so nothing to with with Africa's history Arab slavers and Arab colonization, African dictators, African corruption, African violence, Africans warring with other Africans, then? D'OH! Is there a brain hiding inside your head or is it a McMuffin?

[rocknrollporn]

Ive never even heard of coltan.

[Rhyas9]

Having the balls to fly to Congo in and of itself is already something I greatly respect.