Press Releases

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SOUTH KORDOFAN, Sudan – Food security conditions in South Kordofan, Sudan are dramatically declining, and malnutrition among children in the conflict-torn state is on the rise, according to a new report showing findings from the first international rapid food security and nutritional assessment conducted in South Kordofan since 2011.

According to the assessment, the prevalence of malnutrition among children in South Kordofan is “serious” bordering on “critical”—the worst or most dire World Health Organization malnutrition classification. The amount of households surviving on one meal per day has jumped to a staggering 81.5 percent, compared to only 9.5 percent one year ago, and zero percent two years ago.

John Prendergast, Enough Project Co-founder, said:

“The assessment’s findings indicate that the situation in South Kordofan today is similar to the conditions leading up to the Horn of Africa famine in 2011. If the international community does not respond to these early warning indicators in South Kordofan, the situation could have devastating consequences for hundreds of thousands of people. Pre-positioning of relief supplies must begin now, and all possible means of delivery need to be explored and, if negotiations over access fail, utilized.”

The nutritional assessment was carried out by an international non-governmental organization but, due to security reasons, the organization requested to remain anonymous and asked the Enough Project to publish the report. The Enough Project was responsible for the report’s final production and distribution, and had the assessment vetted by experts at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health who found its findings to be credible.

Jennifer Christian, Enough Project Sudan policy analyst and author of the accompanying policy brief, said:

“The rapid food security and nutritional assessment corroborates existing evidence of the humanitarian crisis unfolding in South Kordofan. Given the government of Sudan’s failure to comply with the terms of U.N. Security Council Resolution 2046, the U.N. Security Council must enact measures against Sudanese government officials responsible for the denial of aid into Blue Nile and South Kordofan states, and call on U.N. member States to take all measures necessary to deliver aid should the government of Sudan continue to ignore its obligations.”

For nearly a year and a half, the government of Sudan has indiscriminately targeted civilians and denied international humanitarian aid access to civilian populations in South Kordofan and Blue Nile states, particularly in areas under control of the rebel Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North, or SPLM-N.

Along with the report, the Enough Project has issued an accompanying brief outlining policy recommendations (PDF) based on the assessment’s findings. It calls on the A.U. Peace and Security Council and the U.N. Security Council to demand the government of Sudan and the SPLM-N cooperate with the Tripartite Partners in negotiating unfettered international access into the two states, and to identify consequences should a party undermine or frustrate the negotiations. If negotiated access fails, alternative channels must be utilized to ensure international humanitarian access into the two states.

The brief recommends the African Union facilitate immediate political negotiations between the government of Sudan and the SPLM-N for a cessation of hostilities agreement to create suitable conditions on the ground for the widespread delivery of humanitarian assistance and the return of displaced populations. These negotiations should also produce a long-term ceasefire agreement and a broad, inclusive political process to address the conflict’s underlying causes of social, political and economic marginalization.

Read the full report: “Rapid Food Security and Nutrition Assessment: South Kordofan” URL: http://www.enoughproject.org/files/SK%20Rapid%20Assessment%20Report.pdf (PDF)

Read the accompanying policy brief: “The Humanitarian Crisis in South Kordofan and Blue Nile: Next Steps for Policy Makers” URL: http://www.enoughproject.org/files/Humanitarian%20Crisis%20Policy%20Recs.pdf (PDF)

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Enough is a project of the Center for American Progress to end genocide and crimes against humanity. Founded in 2007, the Enough Project focuses on crises in Sudan, eastern Congo, and areas of Africa affected by the Lord’s Resistance Army. Enough’s strategy papers and briefings provide sharp field analysis and targeted policy recommendations based on a“3P” crisis response strategy: promoting durable peace, providing civilian protection, and punishing perpetrators of atrocities. Enough works with concerned citizens, advocates, and policy makers to prevent, mitigate, and resolve these crises. For more information, please visit www.enoughproject.org.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Tracy Fehr, tfehr@enoughproject.org,+1 202-459-1219

Publicizing LRA Leader Kony's Whereabouts Could Undermine Apprehension Efforts

WASHINGTON and KAMPALA, Uganda -- The Enough Project questions why the Ugandan army released sensitive information yesterday about the location of Joseph Kony, the leader of the Lord's Resistance Army, or LRA. Releasing information about Kony’s whereabouts could jeopardize the success of military operations aimed at apprehending him and his senior commanders.

"By publicizing where Kony is, the Ugandan army runs the risk of undermining the success of the mission to capture him and bring him to justice," said Ashley Benner, Enough Project LRA Policy Analyst. "The Ugandan government perhaps feels under pressure to show that it both knows where Kony and his senior commanders are and is actively engaged in pursuing them. However, maintaining the integrity of the operations to capture the LRA's senior leaders should be of utmost concern to the Ugandan government and the U.S. government, which deployed military advisors to advise and assist the governments in the region in ending the LRA conflict."

The Enough Project is also concerned that the Ugandan army is not deployed in all areas where the LRA operates, including in the northeastern part of the Central African Republic, where the Ugandan army stated that Kony is present. In order to apprehend Kony and other LRA commanders wanted by the International Criminal Court, the Ugandan army must be allowed access and urged to deploy into areas where the LRA is reportedly operating. If the Ugandans are not able or willing to deploy where Kony and his deputies are present, then the U.S. military advisors should be given the ability to take a more direct role in pursuing the Kony and other LRA leaders.

"Today the Ugandan army stated that they believe Kony is living in Vakaga Prefecture in the Central African Republic,” said Kasper Agger, Enough Project LRA Field Researcher based in Kampala. “This is an area where the Ugandans do not have any soldiers at the moment. In case they do know where Kony is, one would wish that they would actually go after him rather than leaking sensitive intelligence. This appears to be a premature statement from the Ugandans and the fact remains that Kony could easily have moved out of that area already."

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Enough is a project of the Center for American Progress to end genocide and crimes against humanity. Founded in 2007, the Enough Project focuses on crises in Sudan, eastern Congo, and areas of Africa affected by the Lord’s Resistance Army. Enough’s strategy papers and briefings provide sharp field analysis and targeted policy recommendations based on a“3P” crisis response strategy: promoting durable peace, providing civilian protection, and punishing perpetrators of atrocities. Enough works with concerned citizens, advocates, and policy makers to prevent, mitigate, and resolve these crises. For more information, please visit www.enoughproject.org.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Tracy Fehr, tfehr@enoughproject.org, +1 202-459-1219

WASHINGTON – The success of the recent agreement between Sudan and South Sudan ultimately hinges on the resolution of the remaining outstanding issues, chief among them is the final status of the disputed Abyei area, argues a new Enough Project brief.

Abyei, which is the traditional homeland of the nine Ngok Dinka chiefdoms, straddles the ill-defined international border separating the two Sudans. For decades, the international community has lacked the political will to safeguard the rights of Abyei citizens and to ensure that Khartoum implements the agreements it has signed concerning the area’s status.

However, according to the brief, the A.U. Peace and Security briefing later this month offers an opportunity for the international community to adopt and implement a final agreement on this outstanding issue.

“Despite Abyei’s central role as a catalyst for North-South tensions, the international community has historically dodged the difficult issue of the area’s final status,” said John Prendergast, co-author of the report and Enough Project Co-founder. “Determining the final status of Abyei and resolving the other outstanding issues is imperative for any sort of sustainable peace between the two countries, as well as for the successful implementation of the September 27 agreements between Sudan and South Sudan.”

The brief recommends that when President Thabo Mbeki briefs the A.U. Peace and Security Council on the agreements between the Sudans, he should present the African Union High-Level Implementation Panel’s proposals on the remaining outstanding issues, including the status of Abyei. Further, Mbeki should propose unfettered international humanitarian access into Blue Nile and South Kordofan, as well as support for a North-North negotiation process, and call on the U.N. Security Council to enforce such efforts.

"President Mbeki's upcoming report to the African Union provides him with a unique opportunity to set the tone for the international community's response to the remaining outstanding issues, among them the final status of Abyei," said Jennifer Christian, co-author of the report and Enough Project Sudan Policy Analyst. "President Mbeki should present the AUHIP's proposal on Abyei in its entirety and request that both the AU and the UN ratify the proposal as the final resolution to the two Sudans' dispute over the area. If history teaches us anything, it’s that a failure on the part of the international community to take a strong stance on Abyei now will very likely result in further violence on the ground in the near future."

Read the Full Report: “Forgotten Again: How the World Has Failed Abyei”

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Enough is a project of the Center for American Progress to end genocide and crimes against humanity. Founded in 2007, the Enough Project focuses on crises in Sudan, eastern Congo, and areas of Africa affected by the Lord’s Resistance Army. Enough’s strategy papers and briefings provide sharp field analysis and targeted policy recommendations based on a“3P” crisis response strategy: promoting durable peace, providing civilian protection, and punishing perpetrators of atrocities. Enough works with concerned citizens, advocates, and policy makers to prevent, mitigate, and resolve these crises. For more information, please visit www.enoughproject.org.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Tracy Fehr, 1-202-459-1210, tfehr@enoughproject.org

WASHINGTON -- Following four years of gradual progress toward peace, eastern Congo now stands on the precipice of disaster. The African Union must establish a revitalized peace process between Congo and the Rwanda-backed M23 rebellion to prevent the current conflict from escalating into inter-state war, according to a new Enough Project brief.

Tomorrow, September 27, a meeting at the United Nations between Congolese President Joseph Kabila, Rwandan President Paul Kagame, and other world leaders offers a chance to launch a viable peace process for the region. At that meeting, the U.S. and its allies must convey strong messages to both Congo and Rwanda about a cessation of hostilities, the protection of civilians, and the establishment of a road-map towards a sustainable political solution to the crisis.

"While the U.S. must continue to press Rwanda to end its support to M23, it must also put pressure on Congo to address continued failures of the state to provide basic governance and security,” said Aaron Hall, co-author of the brief and Enough Project associate director of research. “The U.S. must also work with regional partners and the U.N. to create a process to address longstanding grievances between Congo and Rwanda. Military solutions alone will fail.”

Since June, the International Conference on the Great Lakes region has mediated talks between Kabila and Kagame on security issues, largely ignoring the underlying political and economic issues between the two countries. To bring about sustainable peace, the brief calls for a revitalized peace process that takes all of these issues into account, as well as holds perpetrators of war crimes and crimes against humanity accountable.

The brief asserts that the U.S., U.K., France and Belgium can play a key role in ensuring progress toward peace by supporting the process with strong international incentives and disincentives, including sanctions and conditional funding.   

"Eastern Congo stands at the precipice of disaster, but Thursday's meeting at the United Nations offers a chance to reignite a peace process between Congo and Rwanda to resolve their underlying political and economic interests,” said Sasha Lezhnev, Senior Congo Policy Analyst at the Enough Project. “The regional talks should be mediated by a senior African leader, and the Obama administration has a golden opportunity to offer carrots and sticks for the peace process by first putting World Bank general budget support to Rwanda on hold until it agrees to dismantle the M23 rebellion."

Read the full report: “A Diplomatic Gambit: A Proposal for Moving Peace Talks Forward in Eastern Congo.”

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Enough is a project of the Center for American Progress to end genocide and crimes against humanity. Founded in 2007, the Enough Project focuses on crises in Sudan, eastern Congo, and areas of Africa affected by the Lord’s Resistance Army. Enough’s strategy papers and briefings provide sharp field analysis and targeted policy recommendations based on a“3P” crisis response strategy: promoting durable peace, providing civilian protection, and punishing perpetrators of atrocities. Enough works with concerned citizens, advocates, and policy makers to prevent, mitigate, and resolve these crises. For more information, please visit www.enoughproject.org.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Tracy Fehr, tfehr@enoughproject.org, +1-202-459-1219

WASHINGTON – For more than a year, the government of Sudan has targeted its own civilian populations and denied humanitarian access into Blue Nile and South Kordofan states, causing a humanitarian crisis comparable to that of Darfur less than a decade ago. It is time for the international community to act under the responsibility to protect, or R2P, doctrine and ensure aid delivery to Sudanese civilians with or without the government’s permission, argues a new Enough Project report.

The U.N. estimates that nearly 700,000 civilians are internally displaced or severely affected by the conflicts in South Kordofan and Blue Nile, and an additional quarter of a million people have fled the two states crossing the border into South Sudan or Ethiopia.

The international community has tried to ensure the delivery of aid into these areas through various diplomatic efforts, but to no avail. Most recently in August, the government of Sudan signed a memorandum of understanding, or MOU, with the “Tripartite Partners”—U.N., African Union, and League of Arab States—providing for the development and implementation of an action plan for humanitarian aid delivery throughout the two states. Over a month after the MOU’s conclusion, there is still no international aid reaching civilians in SPLM-N-controlled areas of South Kordofan and Blue Nile.

"The course of events over the past year makes clear that the international community's diplomatic efforts to negotiate with the government of Sudan for unhindered humanitarian access throughout the two states will not result in the delivery of aid,” said Jennifer Christian, author of the report and Enough Project policy analyst. “Under the responsibility to protect doctrine, the international community now has an obligation to ensure international humanitarian aid reaches civilians throughout South Kordofan and Blue Nile by whatever means necessary. Discussions should begin immediately over a comprehensive plan to deliver international, cross-border humanitarian assistance throughout the two states without the permission of the government of Sudan."

The report argues that under R2P doctrine, the burden to protect individuals within the state of Sudan has shifted to the international community. Because Sudan has failed to respond to diplomatic efforts, the international community may take collective measures under Chapter VII of the U.N. Charter. The Enough Project is not calling for military intervention, but rather for the successful delivery of international humanitarian aid to starving Sudanese civilians.

“The government of Sudan is brazenly denying its own people access to humanitarian aid,” said John Bradshaw, Enough Project Executive Director. “If the responsibility to protect doctrine is to have any meaning, the international community has to step up in a situation like this and ensure the delivery of humanitarian assistance throughout Blue Nile and South Kordofan by whatever means possible.”

Read the full report: “Shifting the Burden: The Responsibility to Protect Doctrine and the Humanitarian Crisis in Sudan.”

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Enough is a project of the Center for American Progress to end genocide and crimes against humanity. Founded in 2007, the Enough Project focuses on crises in Sudan, eastern Congo, and areas of Africa affected by the Lord’s Resistance Army. Enough’s strategy papers and briefings provide sharp field analysis and targeted policy recommendations based on a“3P” crisis response strategy: promoting durable peace, providing civilian protection, and punishing perpetrators of atrocities. Enough works with concerned citizens, advocates, and policy makers to prevent, mitigate, and resolve these crises. For more information, please visit www.enoughproject.org.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Tracy Fehr, +1-937-902-9587, tfehr@enoughproject.org  

WASHINGTON – On August 22, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, voted to adopt conflict minerals regulations for section 1502 of the Dodd-Frank financial reform law. Following the vote, the Enough Project analyzed the 356-page text and published a new policy brief that summarizes reporting requirements for companies, and outlines key implications for the advocacy community.

Over the next four years, hundreds of companies that file annual reports with the SEC will have to exercise due diligence on the source and chain of custody of the minerals in its products. These regulations are designed to help reduce the trade of conflict minerals, which has been a major funding source for armed groups in eastern Congo.

Many companies will have to comply with the law, but how they comply will depend in part on how narrowly or expansively companies and the SEC interpret the final rule, and how effective non-governmental organizations, faith-based groups, and other human rights advocates are at monitoring compliance.

"While the final rule is not perfect, it moves the conversation forward,” said Darren Fenwick, author of the brief and Enough Project Senior Manager of Government Affairs.  “ The rule gets companies that use conflict minerals to report, and gives actors that care about this issue and want to invest in Congo, like Intel, Motorola, KEMET and HP, the terms by which to operate.  The Enough Project will continue to laud companies working to eliminate the trade in conflict minerals, and bring to the attention of the SEC and the public companies who are not.”

According to the brief, two of the major compliance concerns that advocates will closely monitor are whether companies that should file section 1502 specialized disclosures actually do, and whether each companies’ minerals country of origin inquiry produces a conclusive result.  Due diligence is only triggered when a company knows or has reason to believe its minerals came from Congo or neighboring countries. Companies may perceive an incentive to conduct a country of origin inquiry that produces inconclusive results, believing they would not have to conduct due diligence in such a case.  Advocates will need to monitor good faith compliance in the conduct of these inquiries.

“Section 1502 was never intended to address all of Congo’s ills, but was designed to deal with an immediate humanitarian crisis and create the space for needed reform,” said John C. Bradshaw, Executive Director of the Enough Project. “Section 1502 applies U.S. leverage to reduce the ability of armed groups to operate in eastern Congo, opening up the door to much-needed security sector and justice system reform, as well as sustained economic development.”  

The policy brief is the first of a series of Enough Project briefs on the implementation of section 1502.

Read the full brief: “The SEC’s Ruling on Conflict Minerals: Reporting Requirements for Companies.”

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Enough is a project of the Center for American Progress to end genocide and crimes against humanity. Founded in 2007, the Enough Project focuses on crises in Sudan, eastern Congo, and areas of Africa affected by the Lord’s Resistance Army. Enough’s strategy papers and briefings provide sharp field analysis and targeted policy recommendations based on a “3P” crisis response strategy: promoting durable peace, providing civilian protection, and punishing perpetrators of atrocities. Enough works with concerned citizens, advocates, and policy makers to prevent, mitigate, and resolve these crises. For more information, please visit www.enoughproject.org.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Thursday, August 30, at 12:01 am EST

Contact: Tracy Fehr, +1-937-902-9587, tfehr@enoughproject.org  

GULU, Northern Uganda -- The government of Uganda’s decision to remove a key provision in the country’s Amnesty Act threatens to impede efforts to end the notorious rebel group, the Lord’s Resistance Army, or LRA. To address this concern and ensure peace in the region, the government of Uganda must clarify that former rebels will not be prosecuted, and grant amnesty to future defectors in exchange for participation in truth-seeking and reconciliation processes, according to a new Enough Project report.

The report—based on interviews with more than 60 people across northern Uganda as well as consultations with civil society groups in Congo, the Central African Republic, and South Sudan—proposes a three-part plan to achieve greater defections from the LRA while ensuring that justice and truth-seeking needs are met. The report is also accompanied by a new Enough Project video.

“While there is overwhelming support for amnesty among local communities in Northern Uganda, there is also a recognized need for reconciliation and transitional justice,” said Kasper Agger, the report’s author and Enough Project LRA field researcher. “The reality is that the vast majority of LRA fighters were forcefully abducted, so often there is no clear distinction between victim and perpetrator. To ensure long-term peace and stability, Kampala must formalize truth-seeking and traditional reconciliation practices for former combatants to receive amnesty in exchange for their participation.”

Since its enactment in 2000, the Ugandan Amnesty Act has served as a critical tool in encouraging defections from rebel groups. As of May 2012, a total of 26,288 rebels had received amnesty under the act—12,971 of which were former LRA combatants. With the recent lapse of the amnesty provision, former rebels now fear that they will face prosecution, and many believe that the provision’s removal will discourage defections and escapes from the LRA.

“The government of Uganda should listen to the concerns of its citizens and ensure that no former LRA combatants, aside from those wanted by the ICC, are prosecuted,” said Enough Executive Director John Bradshaw. “And as the government of Uganda develops its transitional justice policy, it is critical that the government adheres to a holistic approach that includes mechanisms to deal with crimes committed by all parties.”

The report found that local communities prioritize reparation and reconciliation over retributive justice, but there is a general sense that those most responsible for crimes must be held accountable, including members of the Ugandan army and government.

Read the full report: “The End of Amnesty in Uganda: Implications for LRA Defections.”

View the accompanying video that includes interviews of former LRA combatants in Northern Uganda.

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Enough is a project of the Center for American Progress to end genocide and crimes against humanity. Founded in 2007, the Enough Project focuses on crises in Sudan, eastern Congo, and areas of Africa affected by the Lord’s Resistance Army. Enough’s strategy papers and briefings provide sharp field analysis and targeted policy recommendations based on a “3P” crisis response strategy: promoting durable peace, providing civilian protection, and punishing perpetrators of atrocities. Enough works with concerned citizens, advocates, and policy makers to prevent, mitigate, and resolve these crises. For more information, please visit www.enoughproject.org.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 22, 2012

Contact: Jonathan Hutson, +1.202.386.1618, jhutson@enoughproject.org

WASHINGTON – The Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, voted on August 22 to adopt conflict minerals regulations required by section 1502 of the Dodd-Frank Financial Reform Act, despite industry pressure and the threat of a lawsuit by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

"After a more than one-year delay in issuing the rule, it is disappointing that the SEC has added an unnecessary two-year phase-in period to implement these conflict minerals regulations," said Enough Project Executive Director John C. Bradshaw. "We still need to analyze the final rules to assess their impact on companies sourcing minerals from Congo and its neighboring countries, but such an extended phase-in period clearly caters to corporate interests over the people of eastern Congo."

The conflict minerals regulations require that companies disclose whether they use conflict minerals—gold, tin, tungsten, or tantalum sourced from eastern Congo or its neighboring countries—to reveal whether their products fund armed groups in eastern Congo. The Dodd-Frank legislation required the SEC to release regulations for companies using conflict minerals by April 17, 2011. However, delays caused by companies, bureaucratic processes, and the threat of a lawsuit by the Chamber of Commerce have pushed back the release for a full year.

“The Chamber of Commerce continues to threaten a lawsuit against the SEC, asserting the cost for cleaning up supply chains is too high for companies,” said Enough Project Senior Government Affairs Manager Darren Fenwick. “The reality is that major companies such as Microsoft, General Electric, and Motorola Solutions have rejected the Chamber of Commerce’s stance against section 1502 regulations, and industry leaders such as Intel, HP, Motorola Solutions and Apple have already established conflict-free programs ahead of the required SEC regulations, proving that clean supply chains are possible, and profitable.”

In response to growing consumer demand, over the past 18 months electronics companies have significantly stepped up efforts to use and invest in conflict-free minerals, according to Enough Project’s 2012 Company Rankings on Conflict Minerals.

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The Enough Project’s Raise Hope for Congo campaign aims to build a permanent and diverse constituency of activists who will advocate for the human rights of all Congolese citizens and work towards ending the ongoing conflict in eastern Congo. For more information, please visit www.raisehopeforcongo.org.

Enough is a project of the Center for American Progress to end genocide and crimes against humanity. Founded in 2007, the Enough Project focuses on crises in Sudan, eastern Congo, and areas of Africa affected by the Lord’s Resistance Army. Enough’s strategy papers and briefings provide sharp field analysis and targeted policy recommendations based on a “3P” crisis response strategy: promoting durable peace, providing civilian protection, and punishing perpetrators of atrocities. Enough works with concerned citizens, advocates, and policy makers to prevent, mitigate, and resolve these crises. For more information, please visit www.enoughproject.org.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Jonathan Hutson, +1.202.386.1618, jhutson@enoughproject.org

WASHINGTON – In response to growing consumer demand for electronics products free of conflict minerals from eastern Congo, the Enough Project issued its second company rankings report, “Taking Conflict Out of Consumer Gadgets: Company Rankings on Conflict Minerals 2012,” which assesses consumer electronics companies on their progress toward responsible and conflict-free supply chains.

The report found that four leading electronics companies—Intel, HP, Motorola Solutions[i], and Apple[ii]—have established conflict minerals programs that pave the way for the rest of the industry. Six other companies—SanDisk, Philips, Sony, Panasonic, RIM, and AMD—significantly improved their conflict free efforts by tracing back into their supply chains, piloting due diligence, and joining a smelter audit program. On the other end of the spectrum, Nintendo remains at the bottom of the list and has yet to make any known effort to trace or audit its supply chain, despite growing public awareness.

“HP and Intel have gone above and beyond the call of duty on conflict minerals,” said Sasha Lezhnev, co-author of the report and Enough Project Senior Policy Analyst. “It is now time to level the playing field for all companies, and the Securities and Exchange Commission has a key role to play in its upcoming vote on the rules for the conflict minerals law on August 22. The SEC should ensure that retailers and all firms that use the minerals are covered by the rules and that there is not a long phase-in period. Otherwise, the Intels and HPs will be left unfairly holding the bag for a problem that belongs to thousands of companies that have been turning a blind eye to this problem for years.”

The report builds on the Enough Project’s first company rankings report that was released in December 2010. The report’s objective is to rate consumer electronics companies on their efforts to positively invest in the region, as well as their efforts to remove conflict minerals—tin, tantalum, tungsten, and gold—that fund armed groups in eastern Congo from their supply chains. The minerals are used in electronic devices and are a key driver to the war, which has claimed 5.4 million lives. The rankings are designed to help provide consumers with information to make responsible and informed choices when purchasing electronics products.

“Moving forward, we need to ensure that conflict-free mining does not equate to Congo-free mining,” said actor and ethical mining entrepreneur Jeffrey Wright, who is featured in a new Enough Project video about conflict-free mining. “Companies sourcing minerals from eastern Congo can invest in a way that serves both their own interests and the interests of local communities. To help achieve this, more firms should join the Public-Private Alliance for Responsible Minerals Trade, invest in projects to source clean minerals in eastern Congo, and support social development initiatives in mining communities to foster sustained economic growth and long-term stability.”

The 2012 rankings show an overall trend of improvement among electronics companies to address conflict minerals in their supply chains, but less progress in other industries, including jewelry, automotive, and industrial machinery. The progress has been spurred by the conflict minerals provision in the Dodd-Frank financial reform legislation, as well as by growing consumer activism.

"Much of the progress that has been made by electronics companies on conflict minerals can be attributed to direct consumer action. We are witnessing a mass consumer movement for the creation of a clean minerals sector in Congo. Not surprisingly, college students have emerged as the leading activists on this issue. Students from more than 100 college campuses across the U.S. and U.K. are advocating for their university's purchasing and investment policies to reflect company action on conflict minerals," said co-author of the report and Enough Project Student Coordinator Alexandra Hellmuth.

In addition to assessing electronics industry leaders and laggards, the report identifies three main areas of progress that have been made industry-wide—tracing, auditing, and certification—as well as significant gaps in conflict minerals policies that must be addressed.

“The progress made by the electronics companies in the Enough Project’s rankings now needs to be duplicated by companies in other sectors,” said Enough Project Executive Director John C. Bradshaw. “Companies in the jewelry, automotive, industrial machinery, and aerospace industries should join the Public Private Alliance for Responsible Minerals Trade and begin direct sourcing programs to help Congo develop a clean minerals trade.”

Read the full report: “Taking Conflict Out of Consumer Gadgets: Company Rankings on Conflict Minerals 2012.” URL: http://www.enoughproject.org/files/CorporateRankings2012.pdf

View a slideshow of images from the report and eastern Congo. Photos are free for media use. Please credit the Enough Project. URL: http://www.flickr.com/photos/enoughproject/sets/72157631066700188/

View a new Enough Project video about conflict-free mining that features actor and ethical mining entrepreneur Jeffrey Wright. URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZuBYxMsckfY&feature=youtu.be

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Enough is a project of the Center for American Progress to end genocide and crimes against humanity. Founded in 2007, the Enough Project focuses on crises in Sudan, eastern Congo, and areas of Africa affected by the Lord’s Resistance Army. Enough’s strategy papers and briefings provide sharp field analysis and targeted policy recommendations based on a “3P” crisis response strategy: promoting durable peace, providing civilian protection, and punishing perpetrators of atrocities. Enough works with concerned citizens, advocates, and policy makers to prevent, mitigate, and resolve these crises. For more information, please visit www.enoughproject.org.

[i] Motorola Solutions was not ranked in the Enough Project’s 2012 survey because the company split and is no longer producing one of the five key products included in the rankings. However, Motorola Solutions has been a prominent leader on tracing, auditing, and certification.

[ii] Although Apple ranked number eight in the Enough Project’s 2012 company rankings report, Apple has been an industry leader by being the first company to identify the number of its smelters and to require its suppliers to use only certified conflict-free smelters once audits are complete.