Apple accused by DR Congo of using conflict minerals

The Democratic Republic of Congo has filed criminal complaints in France and Belgium against subsidiaries of tech giant Apple, accusing it of using conflict minerals.

Acting on behalf of the Congolese government, the lawyers allege that Apple is complicit in crimes committed by armed groups that control some of the mines in eastern DR Congo.

Apple said it “strongly disputes” the claims and that it is “deeply committed to responsible sourcing” of minerals.

Authorities in France and Belgium will now check whether there is enough evidence to take further legal action.

In a statementDR Congo lawyers said Apple’s supply chain was contaminated with “minerals in the blood”.

They claim that tin, tantalum and tungsten are taken from conflict zones and then “laundered through international supply chains”.

“These activities fueled a cycle of violence and conflict by funding militias and terrorist groups, and contributed to forced child labor and environmental devastation.”

suppliers of the highest standards in the industry’.

As the conflict in the region escalated earlier this year, we notified our suppliers that their smelters and refineries must stop sourcing tin, tantalum, tungsten and gold from the DRC and Rwanda.

“We took this action because we were concerned that it was no longer possible for independent auditors or industry certification mechanisms to carry out the due diligence required to meet our high standards.”

Eastern DR Congo is a major source of minerals, and the global thirst for them has fueled wars there for decades.

Human rights groups have long claimed that large quantities of minerals from legal mines, as well as from facilities run by armed groups, are being transported to neighboring Rwanda and ending up in our phones and computers.

In the past, Rwanda has described the Congolese government’s legal action against Apple as a media stunt.

She denied selling any conflict minerals to the tech company.