The artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) sector in the Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is currently undergoing rapid reform of its governance structure as a result of multiple national, regional and international policies and initiatives designed to sever the direct link between minerals and conflict in the region.
We briefly review the theoretical context behind and major policies outcomes of this reform process, and offer an initial assessment of its operationalization.
We conclude that the ‘conflict minerals’ approach is at a critical juncture, caught between the need to deliver a reliable and viable response and the reality of delivering new modes of disarticulation and dispossession. To contribute to the former scenario, recommendations for the focus of future scholarship are provided.

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Ben Radley would like to thank Arizona State University, Heartland Alliance International and Trans Africa Media for their support of his field research. Christoph Vogel would like to thank the University of Zurich, the Swiss National Science Foundation, the Mercator Foundation, and the Usalama Project for their support of his field research.
doi.org/10.1016/j.exis.2015.05.005, hdl.handle.net/1765/79895
The Extractive Industries and Society : An International Journal
International Institute of Social Studies of Erasmus University (ISS)

Radley, B., & Vogel, C. (2015). Fighting windmills in Eastern Congo?: The ambiguous impact of the
‘conflict minerals’ movement. The Extractive Industries and Society : An International Journal, 2015(2), 406–410. doi:10.1016/j.exis.2015.05.005