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US rules on dispute minerals have actually not minimized violence in Congo, GAO states

A U.S. congressional guard dog has actually found no proof that a 2012 Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) conflict minerals disclosure guideline has actually minimized violence in Democratic Republic of Congo, it stated in a report on Monday.

Armed groups continue to defend control of cash cow in the east of the Main African country, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) stated in its report.

It also stated the guideline - which needs some business to report on their use of tantalum, tin, tungsten and gold - has likely had no impact in neighbouring nations.

GAO found no empirical proof that the guideline has decreased the incident or level of violence in the eastern DRC, where many mines and armed groups lie, the report said.

GAO likewise found the rule was related to a spread of violence, especially around casual, small-scale gold mining websites, it stated, adding that gold is the most hard to trace, and most convenient to smuggle, of the four minerals covered by the guideline.

Congo is the world's leading producer of tantalum, which is thought about a vital mineral by the United States and the European Union.

The report included that the SEC disagreed with a few of GAO's. findings and raised concerns about a few of its method and. analyses. The GAO said it made certain adjustments that did not. materially impact its findings.

The SEC did not immediately respond to an ask for remark.

Last year, GAO stated that some U.S. business purchasing minerals. from Congo and its neighbours were stopping working to satisfy disclosure. requirements.

On Sept. 30, Bintou Keita, head of the U.N. objective in. Congo, told the U.N. Security Council that M23 rebels in the. east are producing $300,000 per month in earnings in a. coltan-mining region they seized previously this year.

(source: Reuters)