Reuters reported that tin exports from eastern Democratic Republic of Congo are back up despite the threat of United Nations sanctions and pressure from rights campaigners linking the trade to local conflicts.

It may be noted that some mineral buyers in the eastern Kivu provinces halted purchases of the tin ore cassiterite in January 2009 after a UN report linked traders there to the Rwandan Hutu Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda rebels.

Critics said that the mineral trade is helping fuel one of the world's bloodiest conflicts, which has already killed some 5 million people. But traders say bans will only hurt locals more. North and South Kivu provinces export the vast majority of the tin from Congo, Africa's primary source of an ore used to make devices including mobile phones and video game consoles.

Ms Colette Mikila mines minister of South Kivu said that "We got towards the end of February and there still wasn't any exporting. For more than a month and a half, they weren't exporting. Traders were afraid to continue their activities. But after we got involved, now everyone is back to work. There is a noticeable increase."

Having exported 5,831 tonnes in 2008, South Kivu exported just 105 tonnes in January and 208 tonnes in February. However, figures for April showed that exports had rebounded to nearly 460 tonnes, bringing the province's exports to 1,219 t for the first four months of 2009.

Figures for North Kivu, which also trades in cassiterite from nearby Maniema province, were also holding up. Traders in the province had initially vowed to stop buying tin ore due to the threat of sanctions before deciding to back away, saying the impact on job losses would be too great.

(Sourced from www.reuters.com)