PHOTOS: A glance into Congo’s illegal gold trading

Most of the gold mined in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is dug up by artisanal and small-scale miners, who work in very dangerous conditions, particularly in rebel-held parts of the country.

In an exceptional display of photojournalism, The Wall Street Journal publishes exclusive images from some key places in the country’s gold trade.

Congo is the world’s number one cobalt producer and it also holds vast deposits of diamonds, copper and tin.

See the photo gallery here.

(Main image is a screen grab from ENOUGHproject, via YouTube)