mining was the country’s leading industry in 2002, and diamonds, copper , and cobalt ranked first, second, and fourth, respectively, among export commodities. Mining has historically accounted for 25% of GDP and three-quarters of export revenues, in an export-oriented economy; in 2000, the mining sector’s share of GDP was 6%, down by 21% from 1996. GDP declined by an annual average of 5% from 1998 to 2000. The outbreak of civil conflict in the DROC (then known as Zaire) in 1996 severely...
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