DR Congo sues Apple over ‘blood minerals’

The African state’s lawyers see it as a step toward holding the US tech giant accountable for its policy of “endless enrichment”

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) has filed criminal complaints in France and Belgium against subsidiaries of the American tech giant Apple for allegedly using minerals “looted” from the country’s conflict regions in its supply chain.

International lawyers representing the Central African nation announced the move on Tuesday, arguing that Apple is complicit in crimes committed by armed groups controlling several mines in conflict-torn eastern DR Congo.

In a press release, the legal team claimed that the tech company manufactures its gadgets with tin, tantalum, and tungsten “pillaged from the DRC and laundered through international supply chains.” 

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

They also accused Apple of using “deceptive commercial practices” to assure consumers that its “supply chains are clean.” 

The former Belgian colony is the world’s leading producer of cobalt, a key component in batteries used in most consumer electronics, including mobile phones and electric vehicles.

READ MORE: African state targets Apple over ‘blood minerals’ claims

The country has been plagued by decades of violence, particularly in the east, linked to dozens of armed groups, including M23 militants, who are fighting the government for resources.

Earlier this year, Washington-based Amsterdam & Partners LLP, one of the law firms supporting Kinshasa, published the “Blood Minerals” report, claiming that several companies and armed groups were smuggling minerals mined in the DR Congo out through Rwanda, Uganda, and Burundi and then “integrated into the global supply chain.”

The legal firm said it had informed major technology companies, including Apple, Intel, Sony, and Motorola, that the metals purchased from Rwanda were acquired from the DR Congo through “violent exploitation.”

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In May, the lawyers threatened legal action against Apple if the company failed to respond to questions about whether metals for its products were being sourced from troubled areas in DR Congo’s eastern province.

On Tuesday, the attorneys said, “Apple has not provided any detailed answers to the questions posed.”

William Bourdon, one of the lawyers, said the complaints filed simultaneously in France and Belgium represent a “first step to hold one of the biggest players in tech accountable for its policy of endless enrichment at the cost of the most serious crimes that taint supply chains in Africa.”

In response, Apple reportedly said it “strongly” rejects the allegations. It said it has told its “suppliers that their smelters and refiners must suspend sourcing” minerals from the DR Congo and Rwanda as armed clashes escalated this year.

“We recognize the situation in the region is very challenging and we have increased our support to organizations that do vital work helping communities,” Apple said, according to Reuters.