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The case discusses the operations of Glencore in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). At the heart of the case, is the allegation of Glencore's complicity (ie indirect involvement) in illegal artisanal cobalt mining in the DRC. While the company itself tried to isolate its own operations from artisanal mining, it still faced allegations that it bought cobalt from resellers who in turn bought it from artisanal miners. Further, some critics argued that artisanal miners illegally trespassed onto the company's mines, and that Glencore was not doing enough to prevent these illegal activities. While Glencore stated that it did not buy or process any cobalt stemming from artisanal mining activities, investigative journalists claimed that many children were illegally mining cobalt, partly in concessions owned by Glencore. The case throws up questions around whether artisanal mining should and could be formalized (ie made official) and what implications such a move would have for Glencore. This case is part of the CBS free case collection (visit www.thecasecentre.org/CBSfreecases for more information on the collection).