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DRC – The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has filed criminal complaints against Apple subsidiaries in France and Belgium, accusing the tech giant of benefiting from conflict minerals laundered through international supply chains.
The legal team representing the DRC alleges that Apple’s supply chain is contaminated with “blood minerals” illegally extracted from sub-Saharan Africa.
The complaints further accused Apple of misleading consumers through deceptive practices, claiming its supply chains were clean.
In April 2024, lawyers representing the DRC demanded answers from Apple CEO, Tim Cook, and its French subsidiary about the potential use of conflict minerals in its products.
However, the company has reportedly not provided substantive responses.
The DRC has enlisted a prominent international legal team, including Robert Amsterdam of Amsterdam & Partners LLP (Washington, DC), William Bourdon of Bourdon & Associés (Paris), and Christophe Marchand of Jus Cogens (Brussels), to lead its case.
Calling this move the “first salvo” of legal actions, Amsterdam criticized Apple’s practices, stating, “Color Apple red, and not green.
It is a trillion-dollar company that must be assumed to know the consequences of its actions. Enough with denials of accountability and hiding behind the false narrative of supply chain defenses.”
Bourdon described the simultaneous filing in France and Belgium as “an unprecedented dual judicial initiative” and a critical step toward holding one of the world’s largest tech companies accountable.
Marchand highlighted the broader significance of the case, stating, “These complaints against Apple are of great public interest at a time when scrutiny over international supply chains is increasing across Europe.”
The DRC’s legal action is part of a broader effort to address the exploitation of its natural resources and bring accountability to companies linked to conflict minerals.
The country remained one of the world’s largest producers of critical minerals, including cobalt, which is essential for tech products like smartphones and electric vehicle batteries.
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