Gold production in Democratic Republic of Congo continues to be systematically underreported while tonnes of the precious metal is smuggled into global supply chains through its eastern neighbours, a United Nations report has found.
The countries along Congo’s eastern border have long been conduits for gold worth billions of dollars mined using rudimentary means by so-called "artisanal" miners.
Difficult to trace, trade in the precious metal has fueled regional wars, funded rebel fighters and led to UN sanctions on traders involved in a bid to staunch the flow.