A rebel militia captured Goma, the main city in resource-rich Eastern Congo, with little resistance from the Congolese army or U.N. peacekeepers. Reports indicate the rebels are pillaging and raping as scores of people flee from their homes.

After an International Consortium of Investigative Journalists exposé about paramilitaries involvement in the coltan trade, Colombia is moving to curb illegal mining of the highly sought after mineral.

Despite the difficult challenges we face here at home, Americans are a generous and compassionate people. Our values compel us to fight injustice wherever it occurs, and to reduce the suffering of innocents.

The brutalization of women and girls cuts across all religious and cultural boundaries, so this isn't just about dis-'honor' killings, though few things are more heinous than a father murdering his daughter.

Coltan, when refined, is used in many common electronic devices. But Congolese miners have been killed, and women raped, during the 11-year war over the valuable mineral deposits.