The Democratic Republic of Congo has filed a criminal case against European subsidiaries of tech giant Apple, accusing the company of illicitly using “blood minerals” in its supply chain.
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) alleges that Apple has bought contraband supplies from the country’s conflict-racked east and Rwanda, zones in which the materials are alleged to be mined illegally and then integrated into global supply chains before ending up in tech devices.
Apple’s French and Belgian units also deployed deceptive commercial practices to persuade consumers that its supply chains were clean, according to a statement from lawyers representing the DRC.
The French news agency AFP reports that complaints against Apple have been lodged in Paris and Brussels with the allegations encompassing war crimes, laundering, forgery and deception.
Last April, the legal team asked Apple CEO Tim Cook, along with Apple subsidiaries in France, about the potential inclusion of pillaged minerals in the company’s supply chain but did not receive substantive responses.
DR Congo accuses Apple of using ‘blood minerals’ from war-torn east
The DRC’s Washington-based lawyer Robert Amsterdam described the case as constituting a “first salvo” of judicial actions.
Computer chips and tech devices require a wide array of minerals and specialty metals.
(with AFP)
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DR Congo accuses Apple of using ‘blood minerals’ from war-torn east
