DRC Accuses Apple’s Subsidiaries in Europe of Using “Conflict Minerals” in their Supply Chains
Lawyers representing the Central African country claimed in a statement this week that Apple’s European subsidiaries are using conflict minerals sourced in sub-Saharan Africa, accusing the company of “using deceptive business practices to assure consumers that it The supply chains of technology giants are clean.” Alex Kopp, a senior campaigner with the NGO Transition Minerals team at Global Witness, told Al Jazeera that in the Democratic Republic of Congo, “They[the rebels]have taken over mines and trade routes. They basically force mine workers to work for free for a day or week, and illegally smuggled minerals through Rwanda and other places. These minerals are then legally exported to large companies like Apple. “As conflict escalated in the region earlier this year, we notified our suppliers, their smelters and refiners,” Apple said in a media statement on Tuesday. The factory must suspend purchases of tin, tantalum, tungsten and gold from the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda.
