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The Democratic Republic of the Congo has filed criminal complaints against Apple subsidiaries in France and Belgium, accusing the tech giant of using conflict minerals in its supply chain.
The DRC is a major source of tin, tantalum, and tungsten – used in electronic devices – with some mines controlled by armed groups responsible for human rights violations. International lawyers representing the government accused Apple’s local subsidiaries of taking these minerals from conflict areas and laundering them through international supply chains.
Apple claims it conducts supplier audits and does not directly source primary minerals. A lawyer for the DRC told Reuters that Belgium had a moral duty to act given its history of exploiting the country’s resources under colonial rule.
A few weeks ago, Belgium’s government was ordered by a court to pay reparations for crimes against humanity committed in what was known as the Belgian Congo.
