Can the provenance of the conflict minerals columbite and tantalite be ascertained by laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy?

Conflict minerals is a term applied to ores mined in conditions of armed conflict and human rights abuse. Niobium and tantalum are two rare metals whose primary natural occurrence is in the complex oxide minerals columbite and tantalite, the ore of which is commonly referred to as coltan. The illicit export of coltan ore from the Democratic Republic of the Congo is thought to be responsible for financing the ongoing civil conflicts in this region.