Congo questions Apple over data of battle minerals in its provide chain

Congo’s authorities is questioning Apple in regards to the tech firm’s data of “blood minerals” from a battle zone within the African nation that could possibly be smuggled into its provide chains and is demanding solutions inside three weeks.

A gaggle of worldwide legal professionals representing Congo stated Thursday that they despatched letters to Apple’s CEO Tim Prepare dinner and its French subsidiary this week, elevating considerations about human rights violations involving the minerals extracted from mines within the nation’s troubled east that may find yourself getting used within the firm’s merchandise.

AT LEAST 250,000 DISPLACED AS CONFLICTS RAGE ON IN THE CONGO

They included an inventory of questions difficult Apple to indicate the way it screens its provide chains in a area the place greater than 100 armed insurgent teams function, a few of whom have been accused of finishing up mass killings of civilians.

Writing to Prepare dinner, the legal professionals stated “it has turn out to be clear to us that 12 months after 12 months, Apple has bought know-how made with minerals sourced from a area whose inhabitants is being devastated by grave violations of human rights.”

“The iPhones, Mac computer systems and equipment that Apple sells to its prospects world wide depend on provide chains which might be too opaque, and which might be tainted by the blood of the Congolese folks,” the legal professionals stated.

Japanese Congo is among the most mineral-rich areas on the planet however can be the location of an enormous humanitarian catastrophe, with the armed teams combating for years for management of the mines and the precious minerals in them, and tens of millions of individuals displaced and affected by the worsening violence. The scenario has deteriorated badly in the previous couple of months.

Apple, which has a market worth of round $2.6 trillion, has denied utilizing minerals from mines and areas the place human rights violations happen, saying it conducts enterprise ethically and “responsibly” sources minerals in Congo and neighboring international locations.

The minerals it buys do not finance warfare or armed teams, it says. The legal professionals for the Congo authorities stated “these claims don’t seem like based mostly on concrete, verifiable proof.”

The Congo authorities stated it has suspicions that among the tin, tungsten, tantalum and gold — often known as the 3TG crucial minerals — that Apple sources from suppliers is smuggled out of Congo to neighboring Rwanda after which infiltrated into the worldwide provide chain. The 3TG minerals are key parts in electronics.

In response to a request for remark, Apple pointed to a piece from an organization submitting on battle minerals.

“Based mostly on our due diligence efforts, together with analyzing the data offered by third-party audit packages, upstream traceability packages, and our suppliers, we discovered no cheap foundation for concluding that any of the smelters or refiners of 3TG decided to be in our provide chain as of December 31, 2023 instantly or not directly financed or benefited armed teams within the DRC or an adjoining nation,” the report stated, utilizing the abbreviation for Democratic Republic of the Congo.

“In Congo, folks have been dying for 30 years on account of unlawful mining,” Congo authorities spokesperson Patrick Muyaya stated. “We wish clarification on the sources of provide for main know-how corporations, specifically Apple, to confirm whether or not they’re buying minerals produced in fully unlawful circumstances.”

He stated Rwanda “is introduced” because the provider for lots of the minerals whereas having few reserves of its personal.

Congo has accused Rwanda of financing and directing the infamous armed insurgent group M23 in japanese Congo to assist extract minerals illegally. The United Nations additionally says M23 is backed by Rwanda.

Rwanda denies that however tensions between the international locations are flaring, whereas M23 and different teams are accused of usually finishing up assaults that embrace the killing and raping of civilians, in accordance with Human Rights Watch.

The legal professionals for the Congo authorities quoted a 2022 report by nonprofit group International Witness that claimed Apple had beforehand utilized “few significant mitigation measures” to keep away from utilizing smuggled minerals.

The Congo authorities was now looking for “efficient redress” towards “end-users of blood minerals” internationally, the legal professionals stated.

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They requested Apple to reply to questions over its provide chain controls inside three weeks and stated they’d compiled a report on “the laundering” of Congo’s minerals by Rwanda and personal entities that might be made public this month.

Additionally they would search directions from the Congo authorities as to what authorized measures it’s contemplating towards Apple, the letter stated.