DR Congo sues Apple over alleged unlawful mineral exploitation
By Guillaume DAUDIN
Paris (AFP) Dec 17, 2024
DR Congo on Tuesday filed a prison case towards European subsidiaries of tech big Apple, accusing them of illegally utilizing “blood minerals” in its provide chain.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo alleges that Apple has purchased contraband provides from the nation’s conflict-racked east and Rwanda, zones by which the supplies are alleged to be mined illegally after which built-in into world provide chains earlier than ending up in tech units.
Apple’s French and Belgian items additionally deployed misleading industrial practices to steer customers that its provide chains had been clear, based on an announcement from attorneys representing the DRC.
AFP has realized that complaints towards Apple have been lodged in Paris and Brussels with the allegations encompassing conflict crimes, laundering, forgery and deception.
Final April, the authorized crew requested Apple CEO Tim Cook dinner, together with Apple subsidiaries in France, concerning the potential inclusion of pillaged minerals within the firm’s provide chain however didn’t obtain substantive responses.
The DRC’s Washington-based lawyer Robert Amsterdam described the case as constituting a “first salvo” of judicial actions.
“Shade Apple crimson, and never inexperienced. It’s a trillion-dollar firm that have to be assumed to know the results of its actions. Sufficient with denials of accountability and hiding behind the false narrative of provide chain defenses!”, he mentioned.
– ‘Countless enrichment’ –
Paris-based lawyer William Bourdon mentioned the prison complaints represent “a primary step in direction of making one of many largest gamers in tech accountable for its coverage of limitless enrichment at the price of essentially the most critical of crimes staining African provide chains.”
Brussels lawyer Christophe Marchand added that “these complaints filed towards Apple are a matter of nice public curiosity at a time when European nations, customers and non-governmental organizations are growing their scrutiny of worldwide provide chains.”
Pc chips and tech units require a wide selection of minerals and specialty metals.
The attorneys mentioned that the size and length of the alleged actions have precipitated “unfathomable hurt and struggling” for civilians, fuelling violence and battle by financing militias and terrorist teams and contributing to pressured youngster labour and environmental devastation.
Additionally they cited investigations by the United Nations, the US State Division and worldwide NGOs resembling World Witness to doc the size of the issue.
The attorneys mentioned they’ve written to European Fee President Ursula von der Leyen to tell her of the prison complaints and to request a dialogue on the EU’s function in working in direction of accountability and an finish to armed violence in sub-Saharan Africa’s mineral provide chains.
Apple final yr mentioned it had “no affordable foundation for concluding” its merchandise comprise illegally exported minerals from conflict-hit zones. The tech big has insisted it rigorously verifies the origin of supplies in its output.
Rwanda has additionally dismissed the allegations as unfounded.
“That is simply the most recent blow by the DRC authorities, which is consistently in search of to divert consideration to Rwanda with false accusations,” Rwandan authorities spokeswoman Yolande Makolo instructed AFP.
DR Congo’s mineral-rich east has been racked by violence for the reason that Nineties, with tensions worsening since a renewed offensive in late 2021 of Rwandan-backed M23 rebels within the DRC province of North Kivu.
Kinshasa has accused Rwanda of utilizing M23 to take management of resource-rich jap DRC.
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