The government of the Democratic Republic of Congo has notified Apple of concerns that the company’s supply chain may be contaminated by conflict minerals originating from the Central African country.
A group of international lawyers involved on behalf of the Congolese state sent a list of questions to the US tech giant on April 22 and demanded answers within three weeks, according to a statement published on lawyer Robert Amsterdam’s website. The statement coincided with the law firm’s release of a report accusing neighboring Rwanda of laundering tin, tungsten, tantalum – known as 3T minerals – and gold from Congo.
“Although Apple has stated that it verifies the origins of the minerals it uses to manufacture its products, these claims do not appear to be based on concrete, verifiable evidence,” Amsterdam said. “The world’s eyes are wide closed: Rwanda’s production of essential 3T minerals is close to zero, and yet big tech companies claim their minerals come from Rwanda.”
Apple, which is known for tightly policing its extensive supply chain, has addressed allegations surrounding conflict minerals for years. The company announced in 2016 that it began fully auditing its suppliers regarding the use of minerals linked to violent militia groups.
The US company, which uses the minerals in its iPhones and other devices, referred a request for comment to a March document in which the company said it was reasonably confident that none of its tin, tungsten, tantalum and gold suppliers financed or otherwise benefited armed groups in the region, although it removed 14 smelters and refineries that did not participate in an audit.
It also committed to sourcing “responsibly” and working to improve working conditions among mining communities, including in Congo.
Eastern Congo has been ravaged by violence since the mid-1990s, following the genocide in Rwanda. Dozens of rebel groups are active in the region, fighting over land, economic resources and ethnic disputes. The conflict has displaced at least six million people.
Rwandan President Paul Kagame has long denied that his country benefits from what Congo claims is the billions of dollars it loses each year from smuggling gold and other minerals through its eastern neighbor. United Nations experts also accuse elements of Congo’s own army of profiting from the region’s illicit mineral trade.
The US and European Union have laws that discourage companies from buying conflict-linked minerals.
2024-04-29 22:12:12