--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When people accuse us of taking coltan…" description: "\"When people accuse us of taking coltan from Congo, I don't understand what they mean. The quality of our own coltan here from Rwanda is much better. Bu..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4f3/paul-kagame-8693_congo_when-people-accuse-us-of-taking-coltan-f_1801599.jpg" --- # When people accuse us of taking coltan from Congo, I don't… ![“When people accuse us of taking coltan from Congo, I don't understand what they mean. The quality of our own coltan here from Rwanda is much better. But still people from the UN come here, we show them our coltan mines, we show them the documents, then they go and say: Rwanda smuggles coltan.” quote by Paul Kagame](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4f3/paul-kagame-8693_congo_when-people-accuse-us-of-taking-coltan-f_1801599.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4f3/paul-kagame-8693_congo_when-people-accuse-us-of-taking-coltan-f_1801599.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4f3/paul-kagame-8693_congo_when-people-accuse-us-of-taking-coltan-f_1801599.jpg) > “When people accuse us of taking coltan from Congo, I don't understand what they mean. The quality of our own coltan here from Rwanda is much better. But still people from the UN come here, we show them our coltan mines, we show them the documents, then they go and say: Rwanda smuggles coltan.” [Paul Kagame](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-kagame/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He argues that accusations of illegal coltan extraction are unfounded because Rwanda’s coltan is higher quality and he invites UN inspection. **In simple terms:** Rwanda claims its coltan is superior and legal. Key Takeaway Verify claims with transparent audits. Themes politics resource management reputation international relations corruption economics Mood defensive assertive pragmatic Type political statement When to use this quote - government negotiations - UN inspections - industry certification - public diplomacy Key Concepts supply chain ethics national sovereignty conflict minerals Questions to Reflect On - How can Rwanda prove ethical sourcing? - What role should the UN play in monitoring? A Different Perspective Critics may argue that quality does not excuse illegal sourcing. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Congo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/congo/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Quality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/quality/) ## Related quotes > [The situation in Congo shows nothing for which you could hold Rwanda responsible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-kagame/the-situation-in-congo-shows-nothing-for-which-you-could-hold-rwanda/) [Paul Kagame](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-kagame/) > [There is a need to take advantage of the change that has taken place in the Congo, however tragic that has been in its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-kagame/there-is-a-need-to-take-advantage-of-the-change-that-has-taken-place/) [Paul Kagame](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-kagame/) > [Many instances of persecution and killing have occurred in countries with atrocious human rights records such as Sri Lanka, Guatemala and the Democratic Republic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-suzuki/many-instances-of-persecution-and-killing-have-occurred-in-countries/) [David Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-suzuki/) > [The Congo is very wealthy from oil money but is not paying its debts and at the same time is applying for special status…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-singer/the-congo-is-very-wealthy-from-oil-money-but-is-not-paying-its-debts/) [Paul Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-singer/) > [There are places that I've always wanted to go. 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Eventually you will get malaria or you will get dysentery and whatever you do,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katharine-hepburn/the-country-is-like-a-great-sponge-it-finally-absorbs-you-eventually/) [Katharine Hepburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katharine-hepburn/) > [In abstract mathematics or abstract art, the purpose is to describe inner states of our mind, and to explore the limits of our own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anjan-sundaram/in-abstract-mathematics-or-abstract-art-the-purpose-is-to-describe/) [Anjan Sundaram](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anjan-sundaram/) > [I can't be calm when I drive through sections of Atlanta that look more like Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, than America.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cynthia-mckinney/i-can-t-be-calm-when-i-drive-through-sections-of-atlanta-that-look/) [Cynthia McKinney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cynthia-mckinney/) > [I started, actually, as an analyst on African affairs, mainly on Al Jazeera. 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The barbaric…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-d-kristof/sometimes-i-wish-eastern-congo-could-suffer-an-earthquake-or-a/) [Nicholas D. Kristof](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-d-kristof/) > [“I don't know how to stop the atrocities. I don't know how to make people care. But looking into my sister's eyes, we seem…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-shannon/i-don-t-know-how-to-stop-the-atrocities-i-don-t-know-how-to-make/) [Lisa Shannon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-shannon/) > [“My rights to the Congo are not for sharing; they are the fruits of my labours and my expenditures . . . The adversaries…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/my-rights-to-the-congo-are-not-for-sharing-they-are-the-fruits-of-my/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“No one can know, of course, accurate population figures from an era before there was a census, but many officials on the ground at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-hochschild/no-one-can-know-of-course-accurate-population-figures-from-an-era/) [Adam Hochschild](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-hochschild/) ## More by Paul Kagame > [I would be very happy for a woman to succeed me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-kagame/i-would-be-very-happy-for-a-woman-to-succeed-me/) [Paul Kagame](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-kagame/) > [I said, maybe you need to take a risk with someone else. But they kept saying no, we want you to stay.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-kagame/i-said-maybe-you-need-to-take-a-risk-with-someone-else-but-they-kept/) [Paul Kagame](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-kagame/) > [National security is vital for economic and social progress.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-kagame/national-security-is-vital-for-economic-and-social-progress/) [Paul Kagame](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-kagame/) > [I try to look at problems very clearly and think, 'How do we get out of this? What will work? What will be the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-kagame/i-try-to-look-at-problems-very-clearly-and-think-how-do-we-get-out-of/) [Paul Kagame](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-kagame/) > [You requested me to lead the country again after 2017. 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I remember the first few series were about Saudi students, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wadah-khanfar/i-started-actually-as-an-analyst-on-african-affairs-mainly-on-al/) [Wadah Khanfar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wadah-khanfar/) > [I can't be calm when I drive through sections of Atlanta that look more like Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, than America.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cynthia-mckinney/i-can-t-be-calm-when-i-drive-through-sections-of-atlanta-that-look/) [Cynthia McKinney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cynthia-mckinney/) > [In abstract mathematics or abstract art, the purpose is to describe inner states of our mind, and to explore the limits of our own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anjan-sundaram/in-abstract-mathematics-or-abstract-art-the-purpose-is-to-describe/) [Anjan Sundaram](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anjan-sundaram/) > [“The country is like a great sponge—it finally absorbs you. Eventually you will get malaria or you will get dysentery and whatever you do,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katharine-hepburn/the-country-is-like-a-great-sponge-it-finally-absorbs-you-eventually/) [Katharine Hepburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katharine-hepburn/) > [There are places that I've always wanted to go. 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