Rwanda has turned to blockchain to track the supply chain of tantalum, a metal used in consumer electronics, in a bid to address concerns over conflict minerals in global markets.

Rwandan cabinet minister Francis Gatare, who is also CEO of the country’s Mining, Petroleum and Gas Board, announced the blockchain initiative at a meeting of the Rwandan Mining Association on Oct. 16., saying the “new and innovative mineral traceability solution” has already been implemented “by at least one exporter from Rwanda.”

Rwanda is one of the the world’s primary exporters of tantalum concentrates, producing around a half of the global supply in 2014, according to science journal Nature. However, minerals markets are increasingly wary over its reputation as a conflict mineral amid international agreements designed to counter the illicit side of the trade.

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