Why the government in Congo is turning against Apple

Heavy accusations from the Congolese government against Apple.

His government blames Apple Congosince as it is characteristically emphasized, the American company “uses for the production of the technology products available on the world market illegally mined raw materials, coming from the country’s mines”.

Officials of the government in the Congo even emphasize that in the mines “many human rights are violated”, according to documents which came to the knowledge of the French Agency today.

According to lawyers acting on behalf of the DR Congo state, these minerals are “transported outside” the territory, specifically “to Rwanda”, where they are “washed” and enter the global supply chain.

The “file” they have drawn up “demonstrates” that “the Apple company uses in its products strategic minerals purchased in Rwanda”, say the lawyers who undertook to prepare an extrajudicial letter to the company calling for it to “stop” this practice, before the start judicial process.

“Rwanda is a central player in the illegal exploitation of minerals and in particular the exploitation of zinc and tantalum in the DR Congo,” according to the lawyers.

“After being illegally mined, these minerals are smuggled into Rwanda, where they enter global supply chains,” they point out.

These minerals come “in large part from Congolese mines where numerous human rights are violated”, they claim.

Warnings to Apple

It should be noted that a warning was sent this week to two Apple subsidiaries in France by lawyers William Bourdon and Vincent Brengar.

A letter was also mailed to the US parent company, the tech giant that makes iPhones and Mac computers in particular.

The Congolese government’s warning letter to Apple comes with a list of questions about its “3T minerals used in its products.”

The lawyers are demanding a response “within three weeks” and warn that “all legal options” remain open.

When contacted by AFP, Apple referred to its 2023 annual report on minerals from war zones.

In it, it is stated that there is “no basis” to estimate that minerals that were related, directly or indirectly, “to armed groups in the DR Congo or a neighboring country” entered its supply chain until December 31, 2023.