The Democratic Republic of Congo has filed a massive lawsuit against Apple branches in France and Belgium due to the company’s use of minerals for their tech. These materials Apple has taken from the Congo would have been helpful to their citizens who are facing conflict in Rwanda which has led to the deaths of many Congolese civilians. Whether it is deliberate or not, the loss of these materials could be a massive issue for Congo and having them would give Congo a much needed chance at victory.
Apple is now refusing to use materials in Congo and claims to have told suppliers to do the same due to the conflict and violence in Congo or Rwanda. . Even though they claim to never have used resources, Congo does not believe them and wants what they believe to be justice.
Specifically, the resources mined from Congo are tin, tantalum and tungsten, which are used in computers and phones. According to U.N. experts and some human rights groups, some of the artisanal mines are led by armed groups involved in heinous crimes such as murder against civilians, rape, looting and numerous other violent criminal activities that are unforgivable.
These resources would be extremely useful for the Congolese, considering the men lost due to the violence with the Rwandans. These minerals have always been very significant for the Congolese in helping them survive because they have been plagued with violence for the majority of the last 25 years and seem incapable of escaping war.
The truth behind Congo’s claims is unknown, but either way this is very bad publicity for Apple and problems could very well arise from this, even if it is fake. It is unclear how detrimental this could be for Apple if these allegations are true.
Photo credit: “Apple, Inc.” by Jay Rogers is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
