"The prosecutor is taking the case very seriously," said the lawyer who prepared the Belgian case on behalf of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Last week, the courts appointed an investigating judge to oversee the investigation and issue arrest warrants, wiretap and searches. The French side of the case is still under review, and the process is slower than in Belgium.
Apple rejects DRC accusations
Since last December, Apple's French and Belgian subsidiaries have been the target of a complaint from the DRC: the American manufacturer is accused of exploiting conflict minerals or blood minerals in its production chain. These are natural resources — tin, tungsten, tantalum (“3T”) and gold — whose extraction in war zones funds the operations of armed groups, displaces populations and kills civilians.
Charges rejected “strongly” by Apple. The complaint claims that the certification process for these minerals is “deeply flawed” and that those labeled as coming from Rwanda actually come from the DRC. A local lawyer says there is a 90% chance that anything purchased in Rwanda originated in the DRC.
As conflict in the region escalated, Apple asked its suppliers in June 2024 that smelters and refiners must stop sourcing tin, tantalum, tungsten, and gold from the DRC and Rwanda.
The company also reiterated that the minerals used in its products are recycled, “including 99% recycled tungsten in all products, and we use 100% recycled cobalt in Apple-designed batteries across the entire iPhone 16 lineup.”
Source: Financial Times
0 Comments