DR Congo is suing Apple for alleged illegal exploitation of minerals
DR Congo on Tuesday filed a criminal case against European subsidiaries of tech giant Apple, accusing them of illegally using “blood minerals” in its supply chain.
The Democratic Republic of Congo alleges that Apple purchased contraband from the country’s conflict-ridden east and Rwanda, zones where the materials would be illegally extracted and then integrated into global supply chains before ending up in tech devices.
Apple’s French and Belgian units also used deceptive business practices to convince consumers that its supply chains were clean, according to a statement from lawyers representing the DRC.
AFP has learned that complaints have been filed against Apple in Paris and Brussels, alleging war crimes, money laundering, counterfeiting and deception.
Last April, the legal team asked Apple CEO Tim Cook, along with Apple subsidiaries in France, about the possible incorporation of looted minerals into the company’s supply chain, but received no substantive answers.
Washington-based attorney Robert Amsterdam described the case as a “first salvo” of legal action.
“Color Apple red, not green. It’s a trillion-dollar company that we have to assume knows the consequences of its actions. Enough denying responsibility and hiding behind the false narrative of supply chain defense!” he said.
– ‘Endless enrichment’ –
Paris-based lawyer William Bourdon said the criminal complaints “represent a first step toward holding one of the tech sector’s biggest players accountable for its policy of endless enrichment at the expense of the most serious crimes tainting Africa’s supply chains .”
Brussels lawyer Christophe Marchand added that “these complaints against Apple are a matter of great public interest at a time when European countries, consumers and non-governmental organizations are increasing their scrutiny of international supply chains.”
Computer chips and technical devices require a wide range of minerals and special metals.
The lawyers said the scale and duration of the alleged activities have caused “unfathomable harm and suffering” to civilians, fueled violence and conflict through the financing of militias and terrorist groups and contributed to forced child labor and environmental destruction.
They also cited studies from the United Nations, the US State Department and international NGOs such as Global Witness to document the extent of the problem.
The lawyers said they have written to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to inform her of the criminal complaints and to request a dialogue on the EU’s role in pushing for accountability and an end to armed violence in sub-Saharan Africa’s mineral supply chains.
Apple said last year that it had “no reasonable basis to conclude” that its products contain illegally exported minerals from conflict-affected areas. The tech giant has insisted it carefully verifies the origins of materials in its production.
Rwanda has also declared the accusations unfounded.
“This is just the latest blow from the DRC government, which is constantly trying to divert attention to Rwanda with false accusations,” Rwandan government spokeswoman Yolande Makolo told AFP.
DR Congo’s mineral-rich east has been ravaged by violence since the 1990s, with tensions worsening since a renewed offensive in late 2021 by Rwandan-backed M23 rebels in the DRC’s North Kivu province.
Kinshasa has accused Rwanda of using M23 to take control of the DRC’s resource-rich east.
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