The DRC files a criminal lawsuit against Apple in France and Belgium for buying illegally mined minerals

The December 17, 2024, the Congolese state filed a criminal lawsuit against Apple subsidiaries in France and Belgium, accusing the tech giant of using minerals illegally mined in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in its supply chain. The charges include tin, tantalum, tungsten and gold, mined in the east of the country, a region marked by decades of armed conflict and massive human rights violations.

According to lawyers representing the DRC, these minerals, often referred to as “conflict minerals”, are mined under inhumane conditions, involving forced child labor and local communities forced to work under threat from armed groups. Once mined, these minerals are said to transit through neighboring Rwanda, where they are “laundered” before entering global supply chains. These practices directly fuel the cycles of violence in Eastern Congo, exacerbating an already catastrophic humanitarian situation.

These charges include concealment of war crimes, laundering of conflict minerals and deceptive commercial practices aimed at reassuring consumers. The DRC's lawyers rely on reports from the UN andl NGOs to assert that Apple was aware of the violations linked to its supplies. Last April, the DRC had already served formal notice on Apple, without obtaining a satisfactory response.

Apple contests these allegations, claiming to have suspended all direct sourcing of minerals from the region and to be using recycled materials. However, these measures are deemed insufficient by the Congolese authorities, who denounce a lack of transparency.

This litigation is part of a series of actions against multinationals for human rights violations linked to the exploitation of natural resources in the DRC. In 2019, a complaint was filed on behalf of 14 Congolese families against Apple, Google, Dell, Microsoft and Tesla, accused of benefiting from forced child labor in the cobalt mine. Although the Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia ruled in favor of the companies, dismissing the plaintiffs' appeal, the latter have announced their intention to continue the fight.

This case reflects This case reflects a growing mobilization against abuses by companies exploiting precious minerals..