[New Times] "Blood minerals" in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo) commonly refer to tin, tantalum, tungsten, and gold (3TG). A widely promoted narrative, advanced by several advocacy and pressure groups, holds that these minerals are extracted in conflict-affected areas of eastern DR Congo. It is frequently asserted that 3TG mining finances armed groups and fuels violence, while at the same time being essential to the production of modern electronic devices such as smartphones and laptops.