The Cost of Sustainability: Resources Conflict and Transition Mineral Mining

Africa is uniquely positioned at the nexus of the global energy transition, possessing vast reserves of

critical transition minerals such as cobalt, lithium, and rare earth elements. These resources are

indispensable for the burgeoning renewable energy sector and the burgeoning electric vehicle

industry. However, the pursuit of these minerals has imposed a severe and disproportionate social,

environmental, and economic cost on many of Africa’s mineral-rich nations. The pervasive extractive

model currently in place prioritizes global demand over the genuine development and well-being of

local communities, perpetuating a cycle of exploitation.

This report, drawing from extensive country examples, historical analysis, and ecological data,

examines the widespread human rights abuses, violent conflicts, and environmental degradation

intrinsically linked to transition mineral extraction across the continent. It identifies the principal

drivers of conflict, including violent competition, systemic governance failures, identity-based

divisions, and external geopolitical interference. The historical analysis reveals an enduring legacy of

colonial and neocolonial exploitation, which continues to shape contemporary challenges through

mineral agreements and imbalanced trade relationships.

Human rights violations are rampant, encompassing forced labor, the widespread use of child labor

(with an estimated 40,000 children working under hazardous conditions in DRC cobalt mines), and

pervasive gender-based violence. Mass displacement is a critical humanitarian outcome, with over 45

million people forcibly displaced across Africa due to conflict and repressive regimes.

Environmentally, the impact is devastating, characterized by water and air pollution (e.g., arsenic

levels in Ghana’s water exceeding WHO safety thresholds), extensive deforestation (e.g., over 11,000

hectares of tropical forest destroyed in Madagascar), and significant biodiversity loss. Economically,

Africa suffers an estimated annual loss of $100 billion due to illicit mineral trade and poor profit

distribution, representing a substantial portion of the continent GDP. Foreign governments and

multinational corporations frequently exert control through opaque bilateral deals, often bypassing

community consent and crucial environmental safeguards.

The current global drive towards a low-carbon economy, while ostensibly for "sustainability,"

inadvertently places a heavy burden on the global South, particularly Africa. This dynamic, where the

global North’s environmental goals are met through the social and ecological exploitation of

developing nations, raises fundamental questions about the true meaning of sustainability and the

equitable distribution of its costs. The report shows that without significant reforms, Africa risks

merely repeating historical patterns of resource exploitation under the guise of a "green" revolution.