A student and activist coalition is urging cell phone users to "Cell Out"...in solidarity with the people of the Democratic Republic of Congo, where millions have died as a result of conflict over coltan...The boycott is part of...an effort to raise awareness among cell phone users and others about the ongoing civil war in the DRC and the role of minerals such as coltan in stoking the conflict...Armed militias...are exploiting most of the reserves and selling the product to multinational corporations that produce cell phones and other electronic devices. Companies benefiting from the coltan wars are based in Belgium, China, and Germany, along with several in the United States. Once processed, coltan is used by major firms such as Nokia, Compaq, and IBM in products as diverse as pacemakers, jet engines, digital cameras, and laptops, as well as cell phones.