The precarious political economy of cobalt: Balancing prosperity, poverty, and brutality in artisanal and industrial mining in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Congolese cobalt continues to be mined by a tenuous mix of artisanal and industrial processes. Cobalt mining can reduce poverty, generate livelihoods, and promote regional stability. Cobalt mining can also lead to accidents, environmental pollution, and violence. Major policy reforms need implemented to make cobalt mining more sustainable and equitable. The plight of Congolese industrial and artisanal miners needs humanized and politicized.