The artisanal mines “are often no more than narrow shafts dug into the ground, which is why children are recruited — and in many cases forced — to descend into them, using only their hands or rudimentary tools without any protective equipment, to extract cobalt and other minerals,” he said.
One such mine located in Kasulo is owned by the Chinese company Dongfang Congo Mining, he said. Children are often exposed to radioactive minerals, injuries, and deadly and painful diseases as they work to extract the valuable ore.
“They are unremunerated and exploited and the work is often fatal as the children are required to crawl into small holes dug into the earth,” Kyungu testified.