AFRICA/DR CONGO – The DRC’s complaint against Apple relaunches the question of ethics in international trade
Kinshasa (Agenzia Fides) – The government of Kinshasa has filed a complaint against Apple in France and Belgium, accusing it of using components made from minerals illegally extracted in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) for the manufacture of its products.
An accusation rejected by the American multinational which, in a press release, declared “strongly contesting the allegations of the Democratic Republic of Congo”. At Apple, we are deeply committed to responsible sourcing and we hold our suppliers to the highest industry standards.”
At the heart of the dispute are the “3Ts (see Fides 1/2/2023): tantalum, tungsten and tin”, ores which are used to produce components used in everyday objects such as such as smartphones, tablets and computers, or to manufacture high-tech systems, including weapons systems.
The complaint filed by the Kinshasa authorities against the multinational indirectly puts Rwanda in the crosshairs, accused by the DRC of illegally plundering the mining resources of the east of the country, by promoting the export of minerals extracted in artisanal mines, often controlled by the armed groups operating there. According to Kinshasa, without the logistics line passing through Rwanda, minerals illegally extracted from the DRC would have more difficulty reaching international markets.
As Congolese human rights activist Pierre Kabeza said (see Fides 26/1/2023), the exploitation of Congolese resources “can be described as a tree whose roots are the great powers of the world, with their multinationals. The trunk of the tree is the neighboring countries of the DRC (Rwanda and Uganda) which receive aid from the great powers, and finally the branches are the different guerrilla groups which operate on Congolese territory. The sap that nourishes the tree is “economic interests”.
Rwanda, which itself has limited mineral resources, was courted by the European Union, with which it signed a memorandum of understanding on the sustainability and traceability of strategic minerals, strongly criticized by Congo’s peace associations. (see Fides 8/3/2024). The issue of supply chains for critical materials for modern industry, including “green” energy, is of crucial importance to all world powers and global businesses. But it risks eclipsing the rights of the populations where these resources are extracted. (LM) (Agenzia Fides 12/19/2024)
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