The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has formally notified Apple regarding the alleged illegal exploitation of minerals from the country’s conflict-ridden eastern region. According to the DRC’s lawyers, Apple products, including Macs and iPhones, are tainted by the suffering of the Congolese people. The Congolese government claims that Apple has sourced minerals from Rwanda, where they were laundered and incorporated into the global supply chain, despite Rwanda’s lack of mineral resources. Apple has responded by referring to its corporate report, which claims that its suppliers do not finance armed groups in the DRC or neighboring countries.
The DRC’s lawyers have sent Apple a formal cease and desist notice, cautioning the tech giant about potential legal repercussions if the alleged practice persists. The lawyers accuse Apple of relying on suppliers that buy minerals from Rwanda, a mineral-poor country that has allegedly plundered the DRC’s natural resources for nearly three decades. The DRC government claims that the exploitation of these minerals has been accompanied by grave human rights violations, including sexual violence, armed assaults, and widespread corruption at mineral sites that supply materials to Apple.
The DRC’s lawyers have also criticized Apple’s reliance on the Tin Supply Chain Initiative (ITSCI) program to ensure the ethical sourcing of minerals. They claim that the ITSCI program has numerous shortcomings and has been accused of contributing to the laundering of conflict minerals, child labor, trafficking, and smuggling in the DRC.
In response to the DRC’s notice, Apple has referred to statements in its 2023 annual corporate report concerning the purported utilization of conflict minerals. Apple claims that it has found no reasonable basis for concluding that its suppliers have directly or indirectly financed or benefited armed groups in the DRC or an adjoining country.
The DRC is rich in tantalum, tin, tungsten, and gold, collectively known as 3T or 3TG, essential minerals used in producing smartphones and other electronic devices. The mineral-rich Great Lakes region of the DRC has been plagued by violence since the regional conflicts of the 1990s, with tensions escalating again in late 2021 when rebels from the March 23 Movement (M23) began reclaiming large areas of territory. Accusations from the DRC, the UN, and Western nations point to Rwanda’s alleged support of rebel groups, including M23, to control the region’s extensive mineral wealth, although Kigali denies these allegations.
