...[The] conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo looks intractable... But while the fighting is not going to stop as long as militias control the region's natural resources, consumers in the west do have the power to limit their funds... One of the precious metals mined in eastern Congo is coltan. It is used in many common products: mobiles, computers, digital cameras, GPS equipment, airbags, hearing aids and even pacemakers... The reality is that most of Congo's coltan is sold illegally and the revenue, instead of going towards the country's development, is helping to fund the ongoing violence...
Oil major Shell is to face a suit in its home base based on accusations that its operations have led to environmental damage in Nigeria. The suit, which is to be brought by four Nigerian fishermen and farmers along with Friends of the Earth, will focus on activities in the Niger Delta region. Friends of the Earth have said they hope the lawsuit will make the company take notice, being brought for the first time in a Dutch court. The group alleged that the company disregarded actions brought against it in Nigerian courts. According to the suit, oil spills had resulted in soil and water that could not be used for agriculture or fishing, even nearly three years after the spillages occurred. Shell has said that the spillages in question had come about by the hostile actions of third parties, and that the company could not be held liable for the damage so caused. The company had taken corrective action in line with regulations in force.
