US-funded clean minerals project raises concerns in Congo

Democratic Republic of Congo plans to look into potential conflicts of interest in a US-funded project to certify mines that produce minerals such as gold and tin responsibly, a Congolese official told Reuters. The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is using nongovernmental organisation Pact to help the Congolese government identify which sites are free of human rights abuses, such as child labour, and don’t fund conflicts.