Lawyers have filed charges against Apple over its alleged use of conflict minerals

The modern world is based on rare minerals. Companies like Apple need vast quantities of rare materials to produce the devices that make the modern world possible. The Democratic Republic of Congo, a place where people have long fought over these minerals, has filed criminal charges against Apple in France and Belgium. The DRC accuses Apple of using conflict minerals in its supply chain.

The minerals in question are tin, tantalum and tungsten, a group known as 3T. The DRC is known for its 3T deposits and world powers have long gone there to mine and extract these resources. According to the DRC and its lawyers, these minerals were mined by armed groups and then laundered into the global supply chain where Apple buys them.

“Colour the apple red, not green. This is a trillion dollar company that should be presumed to know the consequences of its actions. No more disclaimers and hiding behind the false narrative of supply chain protections!” Robert Amsterdam, DRC Lawyer it said in a statement.

A criminal complaint has been filed building for a long time. This group of lawyers has been working with the DRC for years trying to get answers from Apple about where exactly it gets all of its 3Ts. According to the lawyers, Apple did not appear.

Last year, in a report submitted with the US Securities and Exchange Commission, Apple said it traced its 3T supply chains. “Based on our due diligence efforts, including analyzing information provided by third-party audit programs, upstream traceability programs and our suppliers, we have found no reasonable basis to conclude that any of 3TG’s smelters or refineries is set to be in our supply chain by December 31, 2023. directly or indirectly funds or benefits armed groups in the DRC or a neighboring country.”

Eastern Congo is known for its mineral deposits and humanitarian disasters. A complex network of armed militias, Russian mercenariesand Chinese business interests have created a land of displaced people and a gun-toting business. The conflict displaced millions of people and killed many more. The situation is so dire that locals in some communities have welcomed Wagner’s renamed mercenaries from Eastern Europe and Russia with open arms. Despite all the violence, the minerals continue to flow. Mines are open pits and extract value from the earth.

Authorities in Belgium and France will review the DRC’s criminal complaint and decide how to proceed. History is not on their side. In March, the US Court of Appeals dismissed a similar criminal complaint from the DRC, who accused Apple, Google, Dell and Tesla of profiting from child labor in the country.
In a statement, Amsterdam called this new criminal complaint the “first salvo of legal action.”