KUMASI, Dec 21 (Futball Surgery)- Technology giant Apple has jumped into short-term own defense after the Democratic Republic of Congo accusing the American company of international crimes due to the tech’s use of conflicted minerals from illegal mining sites operated by rebel groups in the DRC.
The African country, with the help of international legal practitioners, has Tuesday sued Apple in Europe (Belgium and France) claiming the US technology company has smuggled through its French and Belgian subsidiaries Congolese raw materials via Rwanda, and used illegal mining minerals, tin, tantalum, tungsten and gold, in the manufacturing of its products.
“The goal is to show consumers that the product they have in their hands is contaminated by international crimes,” the Belgian lawyer Christophe Marchand, who prepared the DRC’s case against Apple, told DW.
Apple though awaits major defense action in France and Belgium, the company has disputed allegations by the DRC.
Apple, in a statement, claims that earlier this year, it told its suppliers to stop purchasing tin, tantalum, tungsten and gold from the DRC and Rwanda where conflict has escalated.
“We strongly dispute these claims. We hold our suppliers to the highest standards in the industry. As conflict in the region escalated earlier this year, we notified our suppliers that their smelters and refiners must suspend sourcing tin, tantalum, tungsten and gold from the DRC and Rwanda.
“We took this action because we were concerned it was no longer possible for independent auditors or industry certification mechanisms to perform the due diligence required to meet our high standards.”
According to Apple, the company does not purchase its primary minerals directly, but from audited suppliers. Apple’s 2023 Conflict Minerals Report states that “no reasonable basis” was found for the company’s supply chains to have “directly or indirectly” financed or benefited armed groups in the DRC or an adjoining country.
Kinshasa’s allegations against Apple reportedly include war crimes, laundering, forgery, and deception in the company’s use of what the DRC describes as “blood minerals”.
The mineral-rich eastern part of the DRC has been racked by violence between rebel groups, some backed by Rwanda, and the Congolese army since the 1990s.
United Nations experts and human rights groups say some of the artisanal mines are run by these militants who are involved in crimes including massacres of civilians and rapes.
That, Kinshasa says, makes Apple complicit in the crimes.
Although Apple’s statement was vague, lawyers for the DRC have welcomed the company’s decision to stop sourcing minerals from the region.
They say, however, that they will press ahead with the cases against the company in Europe and that Apple’s statements about changes to its supply chain will have to be verified on the ground.
The Guardian investigation has revealed children executed and women raped in front of their families when one of the popular militia group M23 unleashes fresh terror on the country.
