Col-Tan

Tension crackles through the nighttime hallway as C.J. unleashes the name Col-Tan—a Congo mineral smuggled ruthlessly by Rwandans and Ugandans, powering cell phones and pagers while bankrolling slaughter. Donna absorbs the clarification amid Janet's confusion; Josh delivers grim death news beside it. No physical chunk materializes, yet the sanctioned resource scorches the air, bridging policy steel with human devastation.

2 appearances

Purpose

Vital mineral component essential for manufacturing cell phones and pagers

Significance

Fuels Congo conflict through illicit smuggling; anchors U.S. pledge to enforce UN sanctions, sharpening the administration's moral edge as Bill Price's death unleashes raw grief

Appearances in the Narrative

When this object appears and how it's used

2 moments

S3E13 · Night Five

Col-Tan Sanctions Clarified Before Price's Death Shatters All

Col-Tan is explicitly defined by C.J. as Congo's abundant mineral, refined into electronics components and illegally smuggled by Rwandans/Ugandans, framing the 'aid' as sanctions enforcement; it crystallizes policy's moral spine against conflict profiteering, contrasting sharply with the intimate tragedy unfolding.

Before: Abstract policy reference in discussions

After: Central clarified element underscoring U.S. principled isolation

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S3E13 · Night Five

Bill Price's Ambush Death Confirmed, Shattering Janet

Col-Tan emerges as pivotal explanatory anchor when C.J. demystifies 'financial aid' as sanctions targeting its illegal export by Rwandan Army from Congo, refined into cell phones and pagers; smuggling by Rwandans and Ugandans contextualizes the resource war devouring journalists like Price, fusing policy with human tragedy.

Before: Abstract geopolitical flashpoint, referenced conceptually

After: Illuminated as crisis catalyst, heightening stakes

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