This petition from members and supporters of Voice for Silent People draws to the attention of the General Secretary of the United Nations:      

The war has been going on in the Democratic Republic of Congo since 1996. The leading cause of this war is the illegal exploitation of minerals such as coltan and cobalt needed to manufacture technological devices such as smartphones, iPods and computers. Consequently, people in Congo are victims of severe crimes against humanity. 

Armed criminals have caused massacres and displacement of several civilian populations. They also are responsible for children being subject to slave-like labour conditions and rape of women. These crimes continue to this day.

The progress of technology means that cobalt will be in high demand shortly. Some developed countries are planning to fabricate only electric cars from 2030. Electric vehicles will need rechargeable batteries made with cobalt. More than half of the cobalt used worldwide comes from the DRC. This future demand for cobalt constitutes a high risk of increased atrocities against local populations in Congo. The only way to prevent this is to have past crimes punished and victims’ rights restored.

We, therefore, ask the General Secretary of the United Nations to:               

Support the formation of an International Tribunal to investigate crimes against humanity committed since the beginning of the war in the Democratic Republic of Congo to obtain justice for victims and fair punishment for criminals.