Minerals bloody. Once again they hit the headlines and this time thanks to the decision of the Democratic Republic of Congo to present criminal complaints against Appleparticularly to subsidiaries in France and Belgium, accusing the company of using minerals from conflict zones in its supply chain.
Congo has always been a major source of tin, tantalum and tungsten, the so-called minerals 3T (as well as cobalt), used in computers and mobile phones. But some artisanal mines are operated by armed groups who are involved in massacres of civilians, mass rape, looting and other crimes, according to United Nations experts and human rights groups.
There could be other similar cases in the coming months – explain the lawyer Robert Amsterdam and the other lawyers who support the African executive – but Apple is undoubtedly one of the most important targets from a symbolic point of view due to the financial strength it has and for the insistent communication on the topic.
Apple, according to lawyers, is in short an accomplice to crimes committed by those armed groups that control some of the mines in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Apple, for its part, said it “strongly disputes” the claims and that it is “deeply committed to responsible sourcing” of minerals.
Meanwhile, authorities in France and Belgium will examine whether there is sufficient evidence to pursue legal action.
Congo vs Apple, what the complaint consists of
In their statement, lawyers from the Democratic Republic of Congo spoke about the contamination of Apple’s supply chain with “blood minerals“.
Their thesis is that tin, tantalum and tungsten are taken from conflict areas and then “recycled through international supply chains.”
These activities have fueled a cycle of violence and conflict by funding militias and terrorist groups, and contribute to forced child labor and environmental devastation.
Why is the case being prosecuted in Europe?
The 27-member European Union has adopted rules to ensure that “3TG importers meet international responsible sourcing standards established by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD); ensure that 3TG’s global and EU smelters and refineries source responsibly; help break the link between conflict and illegal mineral exploitation, end the exploitation and abuse of local communities, including miners, and support local development“.
Congolese lawyers have also written to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen demanding that she address the EU’s responsibility for the end of “Armed violence in sub-Saharan African mineral supply chains“.
So far, according to the spokesperson of the DRC lawyers, they have received no response.
Furthermore, as Reuters reports, in March 2024 an American federal court ruled that to condemn Apple and other companies for alleged cases of exploitation of child labor in the extraction of cobalt in the African country.
Apple’s reply
Apple denies the accusations. In a statement, he says:
As conflict in the region intensified earlier this year, we notified our suppliers that their smelters and refineries must suspend 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 perform the due diligence required to meet our high standards.
The group added that the minerals used in Apple gadgets are recycled.
Apple has therefore rejected the accusations for now, stating that it holds its “suppliers to the highest standards in the industry“.
