DRC’s Case Against Apple for Blood Minerals in Supply Chain

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has taken a significant step by initiating legal action against Apple, alleging that the tech giant has been contributing to the conflict in the country’s eastern region by using minerals known as “blood minerals” in its products.

According to Robert Amsterdam, a founding partner of Amsterdam & Partners LLP, Apple has been incorporating minerals from regions where human rights violations are rampant into its technology products. The law firm was contracted by the DRC government to look into the use of illegally extracted minerals, particularly the 3T minerals – tin, tungsten, and tantalum – which are essential for various industries like electronics and aerospace.

Despite Apple listing 32 suppliers of tantalum in its 2023 report to the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), it was discovered that at least nine of these suppliers source minerals from Rwanda. However, Rwanda’s own production of these critical minerals is minimal, leading to concerns about the origins of the minerals used in Apple’s products.

Tantalum, a rare metal derived from coltan, has the majority of its global reserves in the DRC. For example, Rubaya, a mining town in North Kivu province, accounts for over 15% of the world’s tantalum supply. Unfortunately, this region has been taken over by armed groups like M23, who earn substantial revenues from the illicit mining of coltan.

The conflict in the mineral-rich eastern region of the DRC has led to the displacement of millions of people and has attracted numerous armed groups vying for control of the resources. The DRC government accuses Rwanda of benefiting from the minerals extracted from Congolese territory, with reports indicating that Rwanda controlled key transport routes for these minerals.

Several towns in the Kivu provinces, including Rubaya, have been seized by armed groups, leading to an escalation of violence and displacement of civilians. Rwanda’s indirect control over the mineral-rich areas in the DRC has raised concerns about the exploitation of these resources by unauthorized entities.

The claim by big tech companies like Apple of a clean supply chain has been refuted by reports revealing the use of conflict minerals in their products. The involvement of companies like Mineral Supply Africa (MSA) in laundering minerals from the DRC has further highlighted the issues within the supply chain.

Protests against Apple’s use of conflict minerals were staged globally, demanding transparency and accountability in the sourcing of minerals. Legal actions have been initiated against Apple in France and Belgium, highlighting the gravity of the situation.

Apple, on its part, has refuted the allegations, stating that all identified smelters and refiners in its supply chain underwent third-party audits to ensure the absence of conflict minerals. Despite Apple’s claims, concerns persist about the flow of blood minerals from the DRC into global supply chains.

The efforts to address the issue of blood minerals in the DRC require collaboration between governments, companies, and consumers to ensure responsible sourcing and eliminate the financing of armed groups through the exploitation of natural resources.