Photos: The dangerous work of conflict mineral mining in the Congo
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Path to the mine
Path to the mine
On the path approaching the Kalimbi mine, halfway down the mountain, there is a sharp descent where Tunnel 20 has been chipped out.
The photos of Fiona Lloyd-Davies in the DRC were supported by the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting.
The Kalimbi mine
The Kalimbi mine
The Kalimbi Mine in South Kivu is in the eastern DRC.
Tunnel 20 entrance
Tunnel 20 entrance
A miner stands outside Tunnel 20.
Outside the mine
Outside the mine
Looking into the mountain
Looking into the mountain
Inside the mine
Inside the mine
Digger Ajeje Mode Mahenga
Digger Ajeje Mode Mahenga
Mahenga has been working at this mine since he was young. “I started when I was 12 years old,” he said. “The problem is the gas we smell here.I’d say that I’ve got used to the job despite everything.”
Digger Moise Nyamirhali
Digger Moise Nyamirhali
Nyamirhali, a digger, said soldiers used to beat up diggers and steal their minerals.
The processed tin
The processed tin
Kitambala Azwata Edouard is the manager of WMC, a treatment centre in Bukavu, South Kivu. These barrels are filled with processed tin ready for export.
The washing station
The washing station
The washing station is on the mountain. Here, raw tin ore and cassiterite is washed.
Taking a break
Taking a break
Separating the minerals
Separating the minerals
A washer separates the tin ore.
A young man outside Kalimbi
A young man outside Kalimbi
The crushing station
The crushing station
After they are washed, the larger pieces of ore are crushed.
The washing station
The washing station
The washing process can take several hours.
The long process of washing minerals
The long process of washing minerals
Refining cassiterite
Refining cassiterite
Workers refine cassiterite. It must be separated from the rest of the grit and put into barrels before it is sold and exported.
The negotiant
The negotiant
Middleman, or negotiant, Kasole Sanvura Vie Sainte buys the raw ore from diggers.
Resting near the mine
Resting near the mine
Using mobile phones
Using mobile phones
Exiting the mine
Exiting the mine
A miner exits the Kalimbi mine in South Kivu, DRC.
