International lawyers for the Democratic Republic of Congo claimed new evidence suggests Apple may be sourcing minerals from conflict zones in eastern Congo
The attorneys urged Apple in a statement to respond to inquiries regarding its supply chain in the country and stated that they were weighing their legal options.
Since the 1990s, violence has wreaked havoc throughout Congo, most notably in the unstable east, where a multitude of armed groups—some of which are supported by neighboring Rwanda—compete over resources, national identity, and ethnicity.
Concerning its supply chain, Congo’s attorneys apprised Apple CEO Tim Cook on April 22 of a series of issues. They also demanded responses in a letter to Apple subsidiaries in France within three weeks.
The Amsterdam & Partners LLP law firm has been investigating allegations that armed groups and multiple corporations are smuggling minerals extracted in Congo via Rwanda, Uganda, and Burundi.
The company issued the following statement on Wednesday: “Four weeks later, the tech giant has not responded to the inquiries nor even acknowledged receipt of them.”
One of the attorneys, Robert Amsterdam, stated that the firm has since obtained additional evidence from whistleblowers.
“It is more urgent than ever that Apple provide real answers to the grave questions we have raised,” he stated in the official statement.
Apple has stated that it does not directly purchase, procure, or source primary minerals. It has audited and published the results of its supplier audits for several years.
Apple stated in a report from the previous year that one hundred percent of identified smelters and refiners in the supply chain for all applicable products manufactured in 2023 had participated in an independent third-party conflict minerals audit for gold (3TG) and tin, tantalum, and tungsten (3T minerals).
“We found no reasonable basis for concluding that any of the smelters or refiners of 3TG determined to be in our supply chain as of December 31, 2023, directly or indirectly financed or benefited armed groups in the DRC or an adjoining country,” according to the Apple investigation.
Peter Sahlas, an additional attorney from Amsterdam & Partners LLP, disclosed to Reuters that Apple supply chain verification employees in Congo have claimed their employment was terminated for raising concerns about the presence of “blood minerals” in the company’s supply chain.
Sahlas stated, without providing further details, “We are engaging with these individuals and evaluating their evidence; we will have more to say once we have completed rigorous verifications.”
Clashes have escalated in eastern Congo, where M23 militants backed by Rwanda have seized control of Rubaya, a key mining town for coltan used in smartphones and other electronic devices, since the April letter issued by Congo lawyers.