The Congolese government is questioning Apple about the tech company’s knowledge of “blood minerals” from conflict zones in Africa that could be smuggled into its supply chain, and is seeking answers within three weeks.
A group of international lawyers representing Congo said Thursday that it sent a letter this week to Apple’s CEO Tim Cook and its French subsidiary, saying minerals mined from troubled mines in eastern Congo were raised concerns about human rights violations related to minerals that may be used in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. company’s products.
At least 250,000 people displaced as conflict intensifies in Congo
They include how Apple monitors its supply chain in a region where more than 100 armed rebel groups operate, some of whom are accused of carrying out mass killings of civilians. It included a list of questions asking them to indicate whether they
Congolese miners sift crushed stone to separate cassiterite, the main ore processed into tin, in the town of Nyabibwe in eastern Congo, August 16, 2012. The Congolese government is interrogating Apple about its knowledge of the tech company’s “blood”. ‘Minerals from conflict areas in Africa’ could be smuggled into the supply chain. Thursday, April 25, 2024 A group of international lawyers representing Congo sent a letter this week to Apple CEO Tim Cook and France expressing concern about human rights violations related to minerals extracted from mines in conflict-torn eastern Congo. It was announced that it had been sent to a subsidiary. (AP Photo/Mark Hofer)
“Year after year, it has become clear that Apple has sold technology that uses minerals mined in regions whose populations have been decimated by gross human rights violations,” the lawyers wrote in a letter to Cook. .
“The iPhones, Mac computers, and accessories that Apple sells to customers around the world rely on a supply chain that is too opaque and are contaminated with the blood of Congolese nationals,” the lawyers said.
Eastern Congo is one of the world’s most mineral-rich regions, but armed groups have fought for years for control of the mines and the valuable minerals they contain, displacing millions of people and causing worsening violence. affected. The situation has deteriorated significantly in recent months.
Apple, which has a market capitalization of about $2.6 trillion, says it operates ethically and sources minerals “responsibly” in Congo and neighboring countries, from mines and regions where human rights abuses occur. The use of these minerals is denied.
The company says the minerals it purchases are not used to fund wars or armed groups. “These claims do not appear to be based on concrete and verifiable evidence,” Congo’s government lawyers said.
The Congolese government suspects that some of the tin, tungsten, tantalum, and gold (known as 3TG critical minerals) that Apple procures from suppliers was smuggled from Congo to neighboring Rwanda and then entered the global supply chain. He said there is. 3TG Minerals are important components of electronics.
In response to a request for comment, Apple pointed to the section of the filing company regarding conflict minerals.
“Based on our due diligence efforts, including third-party audit programs, upstream traceability programs, and analysis of information provided by our suppliers, we believe that any of 3TG’s smelters or refineries As of December 31, 2023, we have not found any reasonable basis to believe that the ”, the report said, using the abbreviation for Democratic Republic of the Congo.
“People have been dying as a result of illegal mining in Congo for 30 years,” Congolese government spokesman Patrick Muyaya said. “We are seeking clarification on the sources of supply to verify whether major technology companies, and Apple in particular, are sourcing minerals that are produced under completely illegal conditions.”
He said Rwanda is “positioned” as a supplier of many minerals, although it has few reserves of its own.
The Congolese government has accused Rwanda of funding M23, a notorious armed rebel group in eastern Congo, and directing it to support illegal mineral extraction. The UN also says M23 is supported by Rwanda.
Rwanda denies this, but Human Rights Watch says tensions between the two countries have escalated, with M23 and other groups regularly carrying out attacks, including killing and raping civilians. has been criticized.
Lawyers for the Congolese government argue that Apple has so far taken “little meaningful mitigation” to avoid using smuggled minerals, citing a 2022 report by the nonprofit Global Witness. did.
Lawyers say the Congolese government is now seeking “effective redress” for “end consumers of blood minerals” around the world.
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They asked Apple to respond to questions about its supply chain management within three weeks and said it would compile a report on the “cleaning” of Congolese minerals by Rwanda and private parties, to be released this month.
The letter also asks the Congolese government for guidance on what legal action it is considering against Apple.
