The Heart of Bleakness
Photos by Tim FrecciaWalking through the jungle in the dead of night with a group of Rwandan rebels best known for their expertise at rape and murder wasn't exactly what we had planned for our first trip to the Democratic Republic of Congo. All we wanted was to make a little film about the controversy surrounding the so-called conflict minerals that make our cell phones work, drop a couple Conrad references, and drink a Primus. Just one Primus.

This is coltan, an essential component in many electronics like video-game systems and mobile devices. Eastern Congo contains 80 percent of the world's supply.
A handful of gold, tourmaline, and other minerals that make rebels' hearts go pitter-patter.
After our Land Cruiser got stuck in mud for the umpteenth time, these fellows appeared out of nowhere and took the edge off with good vibes and a helping hand. They looked like they shopped at a thrift store from the future.
A UN soldier waits on a landing strip adjacent to rows of barracks. This outpost is exclusively made up of Indian blue helmets famous for their hospitality, biscuits, and chai tea. If you're a journalist or NGO employee working in the bush, it's Congo's equivalent of a desert oasis. If you're not, you're shit out of luck.
On arriving in a mostly empty and burned-out village in the middle of the Congolese jungle, this spindly Rwandan (a member of the feared FDLR) greeted the author and his crew by saying, "We have the power to make you sleep in the mud tonight." Before they discovered exactly what he meant, his demeanor mysteriously changed and he agreed to provide armed escorts for the second leg of the journey to the Mai Mai camp. Unbelievably, this all took place less than four miles from the UN outpost.
Mai Mai General Janvier (right) makes sure his Rwandan secretary is keeping thorough minutes.
Shortly after the author's arrival at the Mai Mai camp, General Janvier's men paraded around two of their prisoners—Congolese government troops who'd wandered onto their turf. The Mai Mai wanted to demonstrate how humanely the prisoners had been treated during their internment.
The Mai Mai version of mugging for the camera.
VICE cofounder Suroosh Alvi considers turning back before working up the nerve to cross a "bridge" constructed out of bamboo shoots and vines that leads to the Mai Mai stronghold.
