https://en.sputniknews.africa/20241217/dr-congo-files-criminal-case-against-apple-over-alleged-use-of-blood-minerals-1069758887.html
DR Congo Files Criminal Case Against Apple Over Alleged Use of 'Blood Minerals'
DR Congo Files Criminal Case Against Apple Over Alleged Use of 'Blood Minerals'
Sputnik Africa
The eastern region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), rich in minerals such as diamonds, gold, copper, cobalt, tin, tantalum and lithium, has... 17.12.2024, Sputnik Africa
2024-12-17T15:39+0100
2024-12-17T15:39+0100
2024-12-17T16:53+0100
sub-saharan africa
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democratic republic of the congo (drc)
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The Democratic Republic of Congo has filed a criminal complaint against Apple's European subsidiaries, accusing the tech giant of illegally using conflict minerals mined in the country's volatile eastern region and smuggled through neighboring Rwanda.The DRC claims Apple knowingly sourced contraband materials, contributing to violence, human rights abuses, and environmental destruction. Lawyers representing the DRC allege Apple's French and Belgian units engaged in deceptive practices to portray their supply chains as ethically clean.Criminal complaints, filed in Paris and Brussels, accuse the American multinational company of war crimes, money laundering, forgery, and fraud. The legal team previously contacted Apple and its French subsidiaries in April about the allegations but received inadequate responses, according to Western media.He described the lawsuit as the "first salvo" in a broader campaign to hold the tech giant accountable.The lawyers emphasize the devastating consequences of the alleged actions—fueling violence by financing militias, perpetuating child labor, and causing severe environmental damage. They point to investigations by the UN, US State Department, and NGOs like Global Witness to support their claims.Apple, which denies the allegations, stated last year it had "no reasonable basis" to believe its products contained illegally sourced minerals. Rwanda has also dismissed the accusations as unfounded.
https://en.sputniknews.africa/20240522/new-evidence-fuels-dr-congos-claims-of-apples-blood-minerals-supply-chain-1066687063.html
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DR Congo Files Criminal Case Against Apple Over Alleged Use of 'Blood Minerals'
15:39 17.12.2024 (Updated: 16:53 17.12.2024) Muhammad Nooh Osman
Writer/Editor
The eastern region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), rich in minerals such as diamonds, gold, copper, cobalt, tin, tantalum and lithium, has suffered decades of conflict, exacerbated by the recent M23 rebel offensive, which Kinshasa attributes to Rwandan backing. Kigali denies the allegations.
The Democratic Republic of Congo has filed a
criminal complaint against Apple's European subsidiaries, accusing the tech giant of illegally using conflict minerals mined in the country's volatile eastern region and smuggled through neighboring Rwanda.
The DRC claims Apple knowingly sourced contraband materials, contributing to violence, human rights abuses, and environmental destruction. Lawyers representing the DRC allege Apple's French and Belgian units engaged in
deceptive practices to portray their supply chains as ethically clean.
Criminal complaints, filed in Paris and Brussels, accuse the American multinational company of war crimes, money laundering, forgery, and fraud. The legal team previously contacted Apple and its French subsidiaries in April about the allegations but received inadequate responses, according to Western media.
"Color Apple red, and not green. It is a trillion-dollar company that must be assumed to know the consequences of its actions. Enough with denials of accountability and hiding behind the false narrative of supply chain defenses!" said Robert Amsterdam, the DRC’s Washington-based lawyer.
He described the lawsuit as the "first salvo" in a broader campaign to hold the tech giant accountable.
The lawyers emphasize the devastating consequences of the alleged actions—fueling violence by financing militias, perpetuating child labor, and causing severe environmental damage. They point to investigations by the UN, US State Department, and NGOs like Global Witness to support their claims.
Apple, which denies the allegations, stated last year it had "no reasonable basis" to believe its products contained
illegally sourced minerals. Rwanda has also dismissed the accusations as unfounded.
