(Ecofin Agency) - In recent months, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has engaged lawyers to address Apple's use of illicit and conflict minerals. The DRC has recently filed criminal complaints against Apple in France and Belgium.

Apple denied accusations from the Congolese government on December 17, asserting it no longer uses “conflict minerals” in its products. The company said it has asked its suppliers to stop sourcing tin, tantalum, tungsten, and other metals from the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda.

Despite this, no independent report has verified Apple's claims. The denial, reported by Reuters, was made public as Kinshasa's lawyers announced the filing of criminal complaints against Apple's subsidiaries in France and Belgium.

In April 2024, the Congolese government issued a formal notice to Apple, demanding better accountability for its mineral traceability processes, which were deemed inadequate. The following month, the DRC's lawyers announced they had new evidence to support their allegations against Apple. Apple maintains that its smelters and refineries undergo third-party audits to ensure responsible sourcing practices. 

Between 2009 and early 2022, Apple removed 163 smelters and refineries from its supply chain, including nine involved with tantalum, 50 with tin, 19 with tungsten, and 85 with gold, as reported in a Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filing cited by Bloomberg in February 2022.

However, it remains to be seen how Apple's recent actions, including its decision to stop sourcing minerals from the DRC and Rwanda, will impact the ongoing legal proceedings initiated by the DRC. The Congolese government has yet to specify what it hopes to achieve from these proceedings, whether financial compensation or improved traceability mechanisms.

This article was initially published in French by Emiliano Tossou and edited by Wilfried ASSOGBA