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What鈥檚 life like for communities living near a cobalt mine in DRCongo?

鈥淭he air, there is smoke, there are gases, the environment is polluted with this exploitation. Explosions blight people鈥檚 lives鈥

We鈥檝e spoken many times on Africa Daily about mining and whether natural resources are actually a blessing or a curse for the continent.

It鈥檚 led to decades of conflict in countries like the Democratic Republic of Congo and the neighbouring Central African Republic - and reports from Human Rights organisations about the appalling conditions miners - including children - often work in.

But we rarely get a real sense of what it鈥檚 like for people living in these areas.

The 麻豆官网首页入口鈥檚 new Global China Unit has been looking inside the mines owned by Chinese companies in the DR Congo, Indonesia and Argentina.

Africa Daily鈥檚 Mpho Lakaje talked to the 麻豆官网首页入口鈥檚 Wanqing Zhang about a mine near Lubumbashi, a place often referred to as the mining capital of the country, and learned more about the lives of the communities living near the mine.

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18 minutes

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