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The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has filed criminal complaints against Apple and its subsidiaries in France and Belgium, accusing the company of using minerals from conflict zones in its supply chain. This case illustrates the flaws in current traceability mechanisms in the mining and technology sectors.
Rich in natural resources, the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo has been the scene of conflicts between armed groups, responsible for serious human rights violations, including massacres, rapes and looting, for 30 years. These clashes are largely fueled by the illegal exploitation of minerals, described as “blood minerals”.
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The Congolese authorities accuse Apple of using minerals extracted under illegal conditions and of using certifications deemed unreliable, such as ITSCI (iTSCi Supply Chain Initiative). These ores, mainly tin, tantalum, and tungsten, are essential for the manufacture of electronic components. According to DRC lawyers, these practices indirectly make Apple an complicit actor in these armed conflicts fueled by the illegal trade in these resources.
Apple categorically rejects these accusations and says it has suspended the supply of minerals from the DRC and Rwanda since conflicts in the region worsened in 2023. The company also claims that the majority of materials used in its products come from sources recycled. In 2023, Apple told the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) that its suppliers had not supported or financed armed groups in the region. Apple also stressed that it imposes on its suppliers “the strictest standards in the industry” according to the established formula.
Like most new technology giants, Apple acknowledges that it sources strategic minerals needed for the manufacture of its smartphones, tablets and computers indirectly from the DRC and neighboring Rwanda. To do this, companies go through a chain of intermediaries including smelters, refineries, traders and wholesalers. These actors are designated as the main responsible for the traceability of minerals, in particular by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), which brings together thirty-eight Western countries.
ITSCI certification, supposed to guarantee a responsible supply chain, is at the heart of the criticism. The Responsible Minerals Initiative (RMI), of which Apple is a member, suspended its support for ITSCI in 2022 due to failures in monitoring mining sites. DRC lawyers believe that this certification serves as a facade to hide unethical practices.
