https://freerepublic.com/tag/pareco/ en-us Wed, 13 Aug 2025 21:18:10 GMT Focus Forum 15 https://freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/4334429/posts RUBAYA, Democratic Republic of Congo - Under the watchful eye of M23 rebels in the hills around the Congolese town of Rubaya, a line of men in rubber boots ferry sacks full of crushed rocks up winding paths cut into the slopes.The laborers are hauling coltan ore, a mineral that powers the modern world. The ore will be loaded onto motorbikes and eventually shipped thousands of kilometers away to Asia. There it’s processed into tantalum, a heat-resistant metal that fetches more than $300 a kilogram and is in high demand by makers of mobile phones, computers, aerospace components and gas... Reuters https://freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/4334429/posts#comment Wed, 13 Aug 2025 21:18:10 GMT