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We're glad you're watching today.

This show is centered on an in depth report that concerns child labour.

A large African country and the element of cobalt were explaining how all those things were tied together.

First, the issue of child labor the United Nations defines this is work done by Children that puts them in danger or at a disadvantage.

It might include slavery.

It might include employing Children who were too young to do a certain kind of work.

It requires them to work instead of going to school or in addition to it.

And child labor is against international law.

Despite that, a recent CNN investigation found that child labor is used in mining cobalt.

This was uncovered in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The DRC.

The central African nation, is the second largest country on the continent.

It's home to about half of the cobalt in the world, and in recent decades the DRC has struggled with instability and conflict that may factor into why some of the cobalt that comes from there is mined from Children.

Kobol is a metallic element.

Atomic number 27 on the periodic table It's used to make everything from paint and jet engines to steal from glass and tile two batteries, especially the rechargeable kind.

It's not just electric cars that utilize significant amounts of cobalt.

The car makers, including Dime Lor, BMW and Volkswagen, are all saying they're taking steps to ensure their electric vehicles don't use cobalt.

That's mind by Children.

Still, as CNN reporter and a metal behind around, it's hard to know for sure, at least in the DRC.

What's mine by Children and what isn't.

Christian and his friends are digging 20 meters down, taking turns at 24 hour shifts.

There's no light and little oxygen, but what they bring up is precious.

This is the start of a supply chain leading away from this makeshift mine to your luxury battery powered car thief sacks, a full of cardboard or a crucial component in lithium ion batteries set to power the coming green energy revolution.

But at what cost?

There is growing evidence at the Kabul supply chain uses child labor companies say they're working hard to verify the source of all their hand mind artisanal cobbled, but it's a difficult task.

We're here to follow the supply chain and see if we can do it for them before we set out.

Even the local governor warns us to expect to see Children at what way arrive at the most annoying river mine, where the cobbled or is washed to grind it down.

Although we've been given permission to film here as soon as they see US officials begin to scare the Children away.

Not all of them, though, are fast enough.

Some work on one young boy staggers under his load.

His friend sees the camera and he drops his sack.

They've clearly been wound, a mining ministry official spots.

This boy carrying Ka Bolt has been captured by our cameras.

His response is brutal.

Later, we ask him why he struck the child he refused to answer.

We've now witness for ourselves that Children are working here, that they are involved with production problem, and we've seen the products of that child.

They were loaded onto a variety of different vehicles.

I'm gonna jump into this car that's headed to one of the main public selling cobble deficits.

I'm told we're going to combine the market.

This is where the cobbled is bought by brokers it's where it first enters the supply chain.

The car company Tesla, for one, says its cobbled sources are audited and issued with stiffness of origin.

They wouldn't say from where or how, but there is no sign of certification here.

We watch the brokers set the price, and none of them asked where the cobalt is from or how it was mine.

Artisanal mining output tripled, and the fear is even more Children are being pressed into labor.

Why?

Because cobbled is skyrocketing in price.

Supplying your green electric car comes at a cost way.

Have permission to film here, but local mining officials, once more, try to stop us.

Juice captures the scene on a hidden camera.

The government says it's working to combat child labor, But the same mining ministry officials tasked with enforcing an ethical supply chain have been the ones attempting to block our investigations.

A police officer arrives, and we're told we need to leave for our own safety.

We do, but not before we spot a red truck loaded up and leaving the very same market.

It matches the distinctive red of the trucks used by one of the main international Kabul supply firms China's Congo.

Don't fang mining CDF.

We decide to follow it.

We can't afford to lose him because where he delivers that carbo load.

That is the link between the Children that you saw down there on the riverfront and the global markets.

As the truck pulls into its final destination, guards rush out to block our cameras.

Way later received a warning phone call.

This facility is under the protection of the presidential guard.

We're told to stay away.

What's going on?

That appeared to be a CD M truck, but this isn't a CD M facility.

Tax records show it was declared non operational three years ago.

Rising smoke and export records show Cobbled is still produced here.

CNN's parent company.

Why you tells CNN they did have a relationship with the facility, which ended only last year, but they're disturbed enough to launch an investigation into our findings.

Although they state other companies also use red trucks, CNN visited three sites to show how widespread use of child labor is at this mine.

In spite of our permissions, we eventually had to resort to filming undercover to capture the Children.

Wait, we couldn't prove where exactly the dirty cobbled enters the international supply chain, but we witnessed that it does.

Mercedes Benz, Tesler via Chrysler, among others, say they have a zero tolerance policy for the use of child labor.

But they acknowledge they are unable to fully mapped their supply chain due to its complex nature.

Carmakers simply cannot promise consumers their products are 100% child labor free.

This is the artisanal mining cooperative called suit.

It's run by the main international supplier, CDF.

Rows and rows of red trucks like the one we followed await pick up here.

Access and entry are controlled to block the presence of Children and certificates of origin CD M say are dispensed in controlled circumstances.

This is what the big brand names who source they're cobbled from Congo believe, governs their supply.

But this is the exception, not the norm.

The cobalt from castle accounts for less than a coarser of the country's artisanal cobbled export.

Here, the Ministry of Mining has to countersign for the certificate of origin to be considered valid.

So very same entity whose officials CNN found complicit in hiding the presence of child labor at the artisanal mines we visited is responsible for certifying the cobbled here is child labor free after 10 days in Congo are contacts.

Advise us to leave for our own safety, but what have we learned at the main markets?

Nobody asks where the couples for sale his mind or how we followed a truck to an operation that is pumping dirty.

Cobbled into the international supply chain under the aegis of the Congolese presidential guard.

We witnessed mining Ministry officials harassing Children to hide them from our while.

Others blocked our filming A ll employed by the same Congolese Authority carmakers in trust to issue this certification.

But from what we've witnessed, it's clear no manufacturer can fully assure you that your electric car is truly ethical.

And as demand for essential Kabul sores, it's Children like this little boy who are paying the real price.