DR Congo files lawsuit against Apple over looting, theft

(MENAFN) The Democratic Republic of Congo has filed a lawsuit against Apple in both France and Belgium, accusing the company of using minerals that were "looted" from the central African nation in its products. The legal action was initiated by Congolese lawyers, who have filed criminal complaints against Apple’s subsidiaries in these two European countries. The lawsuit centers around the contamination of Apple's supply chain with "blood metals," which refers to minerals that are extracted under exploitative and violent conditions.

According to a statement from Amsterdam & Partners, a law firm representing the Congolese government, the legal complaints target Apple's role in the unethical sourcing of minerals like tin, tungsten, and tantalum, which are widely used in electronics such as iPhones. These minerals are primarily sourced from Eastern Congo, a region that has been deeply affected by armed conflict for nearly three decades.

The Congolese government, under President Felix Tshisekedi, has long accused neighboring Rwanda of exacerbating the violence and acting as a route for the smuggling of minerals and gold out of Congo. Rwanda, however, has consistently denied these accusations, further complicating the political and economic situation in the region.

The lawsuit claims that Apple knowingly uses minerals that have been "laundered through international supply chains" and accuses the company of employing misleading business practices. It suggests that Apple has falsely assured consumers that its supply chains are free from the involvement of conflict minerals, thus misleading the public about the true origin of the materials used in its products.

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