Coltan supply from SMB mine in Congo unaffected by clashes – mines minister

Activity at Societe Miniere de Bisunzu’s (SMB) coltan mine in Congo’s North Kivu province is continuing as normal and supply chains were not disrupted despite violent clashes last week, the region’s mines minister said on Thursday. SMB has some of Africa’s biggest deposits of coltan, an ore rich in tantalum, which is used widely in smartphones.