The child miners of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) risk death to dig for a highly dangerous ore used in mobiles, laptops and games consoles...Coltan smuggling is big business throughout Africa and is a major source of income for warring militias...Coltan, which is highly toxic, is also blamed for birth defects in the areas where it is mined...The UN Security Council has cited 85 international companies for their purchases of natural resources from warring factions in the country, though the firms claim they are "unaware" where their coltan is mined. The UN list includes household names such as Compaq, Dell, IBM, Nokia and Siemens. [refers to Carlisle Group]