France, April 18 -- Coltan linked to conflict in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo has likely entered the European Union market through international commodities trader Traxys, a Global Witness investigation has revealed.

The report found that Traxys, a multibillion-dollar company based in Luxembourg, bought at least 280 tonnes of coltan from Rwanda in 2024, with evidence suggesting a significant proportion is connected to the war in eastern DRC.

The report is based on customs data and testimony from two smugglers and sources in government, civil society and the mining sector.

The main minesexploiting coltan in the Great Lakes region of central Africa are found in the Rubaya area of eastern DRC.

In February, Rwandan-backed arme...